A Forgotten Past
by Runawaybaby555
Summary: It's been 10 years since Mona Vanderwaal, leader of the A team, has been put behind bars, but it's also taken 10 years for her to have a formal trial. The liars, their spouses, and their new families have moved far away from Rosewood during this time, but the trial brings them all back, reuniting them. How will they survive the trauma? OT4-centric future fic. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So, I'm not very good with opening author's notes, but all I can say is that if you love the OT4, adore little kids, and worship Mona Vanderwaal to the grave, then you've come to the right place. Over winter break, I spent some time with my little cousins, and I thought to myself, "What would it be like if the Liars had children of their own?" And since the whole second-generation Liar thing is kind of overdone, I wanted to put my own spin on it: one where the Liars have moved away from Rosewood with their spouses, had kids of their own, and haven't seen each other for ten years, until Mona is put on trial and they all have to come back to testify. So you're going to see the Liars being distant with each other, you're going to see them interacting with their kids (and my little cousins helped me pick out the names for the kids, so that was fun), and overall just a lot of stuff that was fun for me to write and ****_hopefully_**** should be fun for you to read. This story is one of the lighter ones I've done, but considering how dark I tend to write, that's not really saying anything. This story will ****_not_**** be short on feels. You will cry several times during this story, but I can promise you that it won't be from any character deaths or random crimes or tortures... it'll just be from a variety of other things. But anyway, for fear of droning on, enjoy the story, and don't forget to leave a nice little review at the end!**

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><p><strong><em>Prologue<em>**

Mona Vanderwaal stared blankly at the concrete walls in front of her, her mind too clouded to focus on any one specific thing. She had set up a routine for herself ever since she had been thrown in Rosewood's local prison: she would begrudgingly wake up when they told her to, slump her way into the cafeteria to inhale whatever pile of mush they had served up, and tried to classify as actual food, do the day's task of vigorous and tedious labor, until finally, when she was allowed to retire to her room, she would sit down in the position she was currently in and just stare ahead.

Her roommate, Kazan, a dark, muscular woman of 38 with the worst case of facial hair Mona had ever seen, would constantly poke and prod at her, trying to get her to react, but Mona remained still, frustrating her fellow inmate. She didn't know why she continued to settle herself into such a meditative state when there was nothing to meditate _on_, but she figured little patterns like these would be what kept her from going crazy in a place like this.

From behind, Mona could hear gentle whistling sounds coming from the bunk bed above her, and she smiled as she realized these were snoring sounds. Kazan had fallen asleep. This often would happen, as Kazan would exhaust herself trying to pester Mona, who would always stubbornly resist Kazan's annoyances. At first, Mona's behavior became a dangerous game for them to play. Kazan would get so angry at Mona's silent objections to the point that she would just lift Mona's unusually small body up into the air and slam her against the nearest wall. Now, while she was still persistent in trying to get Mona to speak, she gave up easily, which relieved Mona. It wasn't that she was afraid she was going to give in - she had made a promise to herself the minute she had set foot in Rosewood County Jail that she was never going to speak to anyone, a promise she was still keeping to this day - but she could do without the physical pain. It had been years since Kazan had tried to hurt her, yet Mona could still make out the outlines of purple and yellow bruises on her upper arms.

Mona, happy to have time to herself now, scrambled up from the ground and made her way over to the far wall, a small pebble in hand. She ignored the way her burlap orange jumpsuit swallowed her petite frame and kept scratching against her skin as she walked, and took the pebble to the wall in a long, straight, vertical line.

It wasn't the first either. She took this time to count all of the tallies she had made at this time of night when Kazan had fallen asleep, in groups of five.

There were 730 groups of five, with four left over.

3,654 days. 3,654 days since those pesky Liars had finally grown a pair and contacted the police. 3,654 days since everyone on the A team had bailed on her, selling her out as their fearless leader, and 3,654 days since she'd been thrown in the slammer, abandoned without even a fair trial as there wasn't a lawyer in sight who had wanted to speak at her defense.

Mona smiled crookedly as she thought back at the memory. In truth, it was pretty stupid of her. She had managed to get away with tormenting the girls the first time when she was put in Radley and she should have just stopped there and known not to push the envelope. But the minute she got back into it, the envelope had burst, and she wasn't given another chance. The Rosewood PD was merciless and arrested her on the spot.

At the time, she was the talk of all the town, but it didn't take long for them all to forget about her the minute something exciting had entered the scene: a new restaurant that had opened up on Lake Braddock Square, the town's local priest retiring, and other things that grasped the town's interest more than that of a diabolical team of sociopaths who were tormenting a group of high schoolers, led, of course, by a five foot tall, multiracial school girl with assumed adrenalized hyperreality who had started it all by murdering the 14-year-old, blonde-haired beauty who had given her so much trouble in the past and, in Mona's mind, had really started the whole thing.

So Mona was left alone to rot in her jail cell, her careful reminders that writs of habeas corpus still applied to her hopelessly ignored as the rest of the town moved on. The girls had all married their significant others from high school and then moved far away from Rosewood, and the case on Alison DiLaurentis had been put to a close until further notice, but Mona was constantly left wondering when that notice would be... well, noticed. 3,654 days later and it didn't seem like anyone had even remembered she even existed.

But of course, when she thought about it, maybe that's what the girls were trying to do. Forget. Maybe they were trying to move on from her, move on with their _lives_.

She didn't know anything about where the girls were now. Did they have kids? Families of their own? For God's sake, hadn't anyone arrested Ezra for having an affair with a _student?_ Why did he get to go off scott free, and she had to be restrained like this? So she had blackmailed, stalked, and maybe killed a few people who had gotten in her way of blackmailing and stalking. Big deal.

Mona sighed as she let the pebble slide from within her fingers, falling to the floor with a _thud_. She laughed to herself as she tried to imagine one of the girls lasting a day in here. Emily would be crying in the corner, Hanna would be complaining about how orange wasn't even her color, Spencer would probably start gnawing at the metal bars with her teeth the minute the guards left, and there was a 50/50 chance Aria would either be having an anxiety attack or utilizing her time and the vast amounts of dust particles and dirt around her to make a pair of earrings for herself. But Mona had remained strong, and had even made a reputation for herself among the other prisoners. She had been called "mute", "deaf", "crazy", and "silent terrorist", and she treasured all of those names greatly. She knew she would have plenty of good stories to tell once she busted out of here...

Mona slumped to the ground in a huff. What was she even saying? She was never going to get out of here. It had been 10 years, and she still hadn't gotten used to the fact that this was her home now.

Or was it...

Just as Mona was about to drift to sleep, ignoring the chill of cold in the air as she was too lazy to crawl under her tiny wool blanket on her bottom bunk, there was a knock on the concrete outside.

Mona lifted her head, confused, as she never had visitors before. Suddenly, through the dark she could hear the jingling of keys and the turning of a lock, and when her eyes adjusted she was able to make out the metal bars moving from their normally dormant position as a pair of burly hands maneuvered them.

"Vanderwaal," a deep voice said, and Mona froze. The voice came from a towering figure, and the sound of her name made her flinch, as if he had just summoned Lord Voldemort.

Since she hadn't given any of the other prisoners her name since she had refused to talk, no one had spoken her name, even her last name, to her in 3,654 days.

Afraid to break her clean slate, Mona subtly nodded her head, not uttering a word, yet she couldn't help the squeak of fear, joy, and confusion that escaped her mouth when the guard spoke his next four words.

"You're free to go."

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><p><strong>Intrigued? Stay tuned for the next chapter by tomorrow! And don't forget to reviewfollow/favorite/ALL that good stuff :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the lovely response last chapter! It's great seeing some familiar faces from past stories, and to those not so familiar: Nice to meet you! If you like what you see, feel free to check out some of my other stories. My best suggestions are ****So Cold**** and ****Enemies of the Heir Beware -A****.**

**I'm going to keep this short so I can reply to some reviews really quick:**

**Lady Elena Dawson: Hi! Good to see you again! And thank you! You will see the main canon ships: Ezria, Spoby, Haleb, and Paily. In fact, I know how big of an Ezria fan you are, so I know you're going to love this next chapter ;)  
><span>hufflepuffhaleb:<span> Ohmygod hiii! Of course I remember you, you were one of my favorites from EOTHBA! It's great to see you again, I hope you enjoy this next story!  
><span>guest:<span> Thank you!  
><span>nick2951:<span> No need to be wary, I'm a huge Mona fan, and she is a marvel in this story, just you wait ;)  
><span>missdallywinston:<span> I was hoping to get a kick out of that line! Thank you so much, the Liars with their kids is one of my favorite parts of this story. In fact, you'll see some more of that this chapter ;)  
><span>Immissone:<span> Thank you! Can't wait for you to read more!  
><span>eveningshades1107:<span> Ugh, your review made my stomach hurt from laughter and my heart swell from you being the best. Since it's so long, let me just address a few things: Yes this is what being loved feels like. Oh contrary, ****_you_**** are the perfect one. And, duh, I'LL BE YOUR VALENTINE!  
><span>tobyequalshotness:<span> Okay! Here you are! :)  
><span>BlackBaby:<span> Well, there are a couple more chapters toward the end in her POV, but the rest is mainly from the Liars' point of view. She's still a major major part of this story, though (I mean, I'd be missing out on a major opportunity if she wasn't, I LOVE Mona!), and per your second request, there is PLENTY of Haleb to go around. Wait until you meet their little girl ;) thanks again for your kind review!  
><span>ShadowsOnTheMoon:<span> Ew. Who brought YOU here? All jokes of course, I'm ELATED to see you! And I'm glad I could change your mind about future fics (even ones w/o character deaths), and I'll strike you a deal: by the end of this story, if you're twitching like crazy at the fact that no one has died yet, maybe I'll throw one in just for you. Enjoy Victorious! (Actually so proud I got you on that)  
><span>Cat:<span> Thank you so much! The Liars with their children are one of my favorite parts of this story, they're so sweet :) and Mona is a huge bonus because, umm, MONA!  
><span>Bagilia:<span> Well, you won't get Haleb this chapter, but you WILL get them in two chapters time, and they're ADORABLE! You'll like it :) thanks for reviewing, good to have you back! PS: I definitely get OITNB vibes from Mona.  
><strong>

**Now here's your official first chapter of this story, featuring none other than: Ezria. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

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><p>Aria sighed as her eyes danced across the computer screen, reading the email before her a ninth and a tenth time until she practically knew it by heart. She had her laptop in her lap, and while in one hand she was nursing a glass of wine, she was holding her other up to her heart, which she felt would give out any moment.<p>

She couldn't believe it. She really couldn't believe it. Ten years she had been able to live in peace, live in safety, and five of those ten years she had even spent in marriage to Ezra Fitz. They had moved to a nice, small house in Long Island, New York, where Ezra taught an undergraduate literature class at NYU and Aria pursued her passion of writing as a journalist for the New York Times. They were both very successful, and very happy with their four-year-old son, Tom, and from there on out Aria really felt that nothing could go wrong.

But she was wrong. So very, very wrong.

She heard footsteps on the hardwood floor, and looked up to see her blue-eyed, curly-haired husband enter the room in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, both in NYU colors.

"Well," Ezra said tiredly as he stretch out his arms, his shirt lifting with his arms to reveal part of his toned stomach, "Tom's in bed. It took a few minutes to pry the book out of his hands, but I think the game of tug-a-war with a hardback copy of _The Lorax_ tired him out."

Aria giggled as she tucked her legging-clad legs underneath her and set her laptop on the coffee table, making room for Ezra on the couch. He happily accepted. "I can't believe he'll be starting kindergarten next year," she whispered, mainly to herself, as she placed her wine glass on the table next to her open laptop. "Next thing you know, he won't need us to read Dr. Seuss books to him."

Ezra wrapped an arm around Aria as he made himself comfortable next to her. "Something tells me he'll be perfectly alright with that," he said as he turned to her. "He reminds me of you in that sense. Always with a book in your hands?"

Aria just snorted as she playfully leaned her head on Ezra's shoulder. "Get back to me when he's reading Dickens instead of Roald Dahl."

Ezra chuckled at this, but afterward followed an uncomfortable silence, an unoccupied space where conversation should be filling in. He sighed as he leaned forward, clicking the trappad on the laptop so that the screen lit up. Aria nestled further into him, not wanting to have to read what was loaded on her desktop an eleventh time.

Ezra bit his lip as he turned back to Aria. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good," she said honestly as she sat back up. "This whole thing ended _years_ ago, back when we were all in high school, and we've all moved on with our lives. We're all _happy_ with our lives. And now, they just want to drag us all back into a portion of our lives where we _weren't_ happy!"

"I know, I know," Ezra said exasperatedly, leaning over as he put his head in his hands. Aria had told him everything while they were cleaning the dishes earlier, and he had been just as shocked as she had been. "It's really not fair to any of you."

Aria reached for her wine glass, taking a long, much needed gulp as her growing migraine made itself known. "Whatever," she said dismissively once she came up for air. "I'm not going to it."

"What?" Ezra's eyes popped out of his head as he stared at her like she'd just grown wings. "Aria, it's a court case. It's required for you to be present for the hearing!"

"Mona's the one going in for the hearing, not me," Aria said shortly as she placed her glass back down. "And she can rot in hell for all I care. There's no _way_ the other girls and I should have to stand before a jury and prove her guilty. We all know she is!"

Ezra cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I just don't understand why its taken until now for them to get to her trial," he said, perplexed.

Aria huffed angrily, rubbing her temples as she leaned her head back against the couch cushion. "Before, there wasn't a single lawyer willing to defend her in court," she explained, referring back to the email. "But apparently someone stepped up to the job."

"Who?"

Aria shrugged harshly, claiming she didn't know this information. This entire thing made her so incredibly sick that she was amazed that she was able to keep track of it all. Ezra reached for her shoulder, turning her toward him and locking his deep blue eyes with her hazel ones. "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now," he said understandingly, "but you have to realize that if you're all not present, they could just as easily set her free."

Aria eyed him warily. "They wouldn't do that."

"You know as well as I do how incompetent the Rosewood PD is," he answered grimly, "and you also know as well as I do that Mona always has a few tricks up her sleeves."

Aria scoffed at this. "Clearly not enough tricks to escape _prison_."

"She is conniving, and manipulative, and _patient_," Ezra said logically. "God knows how long she's been waiting for an opportunity like this - "

"Yeah, an opportunity to twist the truth in court to make us all _look_ bad!" Aria countered. "But she can't if we don't give her a chance to do that!"

"You'll look even worse if you don't show up."

Ezra was speaking softly, his sweet voice and calming words like the ocean waves at the beach, washing their way into Aria's mind as she sunk her toes in the sand, soaking it all in. He had a point. Mona could do so much more damage on parole if no one was there to keep an eye on her.

At Aria's hesitation, Ezra took her hands in his. "I'll be right there beside you in the courtroom," he promised, giving her tiny fists a reassuring squeeze.

Aria let a shaky breath escape her lips, starting to calm down now. "And if they don't let you in?" she dared to ask. "What if we're not allowed to have family?"

"Then you'll have the other girls by your side," he said simply. "Think of this as an opportunity! You haven't seen or spoken to those girls in years."

Aria chewed on the inside of her cheek shamefully. As much as she hated to admit it, it was true. All four of the girls had moved out of Rosewood, wanting desperately to leave the traumatizing memories the town held behind, and even though they had promised to keep in touch afterward, that hadn't lasted very long. Emily had gone all the way off to California with Paige to train in Olympic swimming, Spencer had moved with Toby to Washington, D.C., to work for a law firm there, while he scored a job building skyscrapers, and even Hanna, who at first had not lived too far from Aria, was not having the best luck in the competitive fashion market of New York, so she moved with Caleb into Chicago, where she had gotten a job at Macy's and he'd gotten a job at a large, prestigious engineering firm.

All of the girls were doing insanely well. They just weren't doing well _together_.

The torment they had received from A had made them all extremely close, and yet, once that torment stopped, their bond was slightly dented. It lasted all throughout the rest of their senior year, but once the girls had gone off to college, they had to part their separate ways. When it came down to it, the girls started to realize just how different they were, and while they were upset that their lives wouldn't run on the same path, they simply had to go with the flow of the tide. They were all doing marvelously, now, so maybe they weren't meant to be in each other's lives the way they thought they were.

"Think what you want," Ezra said confidently as he stood up from the couch, breaking Aria out of her thoughts, "but I've never seen a group of girls closer than you four were. This could be the chance to get back together that you didn't even know you were waiting for!"

Aria shook her head as Ezra took her wine glass into the kitchen. Sometimes, Ezra saw right through her, and while she took pride in being a reasonably good liar and putting on a fair facade, he could read her like a book. He knew her better than she sometimes knew herself, and she trusted him to know what was best for her.

Immediately, Aria started thinking ahead. The trial was in three days, which didn't leave a lot of time to get down there. Driving would definitely be more convenient since it only took two hours, and they wouldn't have to worry about purchasing tickets, but what about where they would stay? Her mother wouldn't have a problem, especially since she loved Tom, but there was hardly any room in her tiny apartment for the three of them. And staying with her father was out of the question based on how he felt about her and Ezra's marriage...

"Hey." Ezra came in from the kitchen and was sitting next to her in an instant. He placed a supple, loving kiss on her lips, hoping it would calm her down at least slightly.

"Relax," he said soothingly, separating from Aria's lips as he pulled her tiny frame in closer to his. "We'll figure it all out. We'll get up early tomorrow, get everything packed up, load the car, it'll be no sweat. Okay?"

"I just worry," she confessed quietly, leaning into his embrace. "About you, about Tom, about everything. Especially with how sudden all of this is, and - "

"Momma?" a soft voice called, interrupting the conversation at hand, and Aria's ears perked up. She shared a look with Ezra, and then rose to her feet and out of his arms, her baggy cream sweater falling off of her shoulders as she did so, and her long, dark hair covering what was left of her now bare skin.

"Momma!"

"Yes, baby?" she called as she padded her way down the hall, the later time of night making her want to be more quiet than necessary. Meeting her halfway was a small boy with jet black curly hair, reaching his little arms up to the sky in a request for Aria to pick him up. She complied, scooping the little boy into her arms.

"What's the matter, Tom?" she asked softly, looking caringly into his wide hazel eyes as she wiped a few salty tears off of his rose-tinted cheeks.

Tom sniffled as he nestled his face into his mother's shoulder. "I can't sleep."

"Can't sleep?" she echoed teasingly as she walked further down the hall with him still resting on her shoulder. "We'll have to fix that!"

When she came to Tom's room - which was identified by a sheet of printer paper covered in red and gold sprinkles, crayon markings, and three sole letter stickers that spelled out his name - she gently creaked the door open with the side of her hip, her arms still full with her son. The lights were off, but she was able to make out his poster bed in the far corner of the room, so she walked up to it and carefully placed him down on the mattress.

"Would you feel better if I tucked you in?" she asked sweetly, and Tom let out a yawn in response as she pulled the covers over him.

"I'm not tired, momma," Tom protested wearily as his eyes started to droop.

"Could've fooled me!" Aria said as she ruffled her hand through his dark curls.

"Could you read me a story?" he asked, but Aria just smiled dolefully in response as she sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Your father already read you one, sweetheart," she pointed out.

Tom pursed his lips into a pout, batting his doe eyes as he stared up at his mother with the most pleading look he had to offer. "Pleeaaaase?"

Aria just let out an amused laugh as she got onto her knees on the carpet and got in real close to his face. "Nice try," she said playfully. "But you know I invented that trick, right?"

Tom just continued to give her the most committed, most effective puppy dog look Aria had ever received, and she was trying her hardest not to crumble under his gaze. She couldn't believe it; her own battle tactic used against her!

But finally, she pulled through. "You have to get to bed, Tom," she said firmly, running her hands lovingly through his hair again. "We have a big day ahead of us!"

Tom's face fell as he crossed his arms over the blanket, unimpressed. "Like what?"

Aria bit her lip, still unsure of what the plans for the upcoming day were, but she started to spin something up at the top of her head. "Well... we're taking a trip."

"A trip?" Tom's mood shifted, and his already large eyes somehow got even larger. "To where?!"

"Uh uh." Aria shook her head with a mischievous grin on her face as she stood up from the ground. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"What? Momma - "

"I'll strike a deal with you," Aria said strategically as she leaned over the bed, gazing into her son's eyes. "The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you get to wake up, and the sooner I can tell you where we're going. Deal?"

Tom thought about this for a minute, but ultimately decided that sounded fair. "Okay, deal!"

"That's my boy!" Aria said proudly as she leaned down to kiss Tom's forehead. "Goodnight, honey."

"Goodnight, mommy," he said with another yawn as he closed his eyes, and when it seemed like he wasn't going to say anything else, Aria tiptoed out of the room. But just as she was out the door...

"Can't wait until tomorrow!" Tom said quietly, before, in mere seconds, he was sleeping soundly.

_Yeah, me neither,_ Aria thought sarcastically to herself as she quietly shut the door.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting, that was for sure.

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><p><strong>Ezria with a son. Catch me I'm swooning (as I should be, considering these two are going to snap my heart in half on Tuesday. Who's ready for "Free Fall"?)<strong>

**Alright, next chapter, which I will post on Wednesday (but I might post sooner if you guys get me up to 30 reviews), another couple reacts to the news. Who do you think it'll be? Sound off in the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

***SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS AHEAD***

**No words. Just... no words for how good that last episode of PLL was. The first half of the episode had me on my toes with Spencer's drug problem - and Troian Bellisario freaking brought it HOME in that OT4 intervention scene - but then the second half of the episode... the whole Ezria chasing scene through the woods, I was off my chair, on the floor, in front of my TV screen cuddling a box of tissues. You'd think I'd be able to think of a more intense scene on this show, but I literally cannot. And Lucy Hale just took my heart and shattered it to the ground with her performance, it was phenomenal, from her trembling her little body off behind that bush, to her screaming in his face on the ski lift... by "Ezra, DON'T!" I had chills everywhere. And somehow, I just know this isn't even the end of her breakdown, because just take a gander at the PROMO FOR NEXT WEEK! This show is going to give me heart palpitations, I swear.**

***END SPOILERS OH MY GOD***

**Now that I'm all calmed down (KIND OF), I promised my friend ****thenewalchemist**** that I'd give her a shoutout. So, if you'll look at her review for the last chapter, you'll find that she's... special? Sure, we'll go with that. But she's one of my very good friends that goes to school with me, and literally our entire friendship consists of fangirling to each other about COMPLETELY different things and pretending the other person knows what we're talking about. And I dared her to leave a review (I don't know WHY, though), so that's why you might think she's crazy. I mean, she IS crazy, but not in the way you're thinking... or maybe in the way you're thinking... whatever. Check out her profile if you love anime, because that's what she writes for. She's awesome, I promise! :)**

**Now to clear some things up: Mona did go to Radley, but as soon as the stuff with the second A came up, the girls learned their lesson and went to the police, so THAT'S when they found out that Mona was sneaking out of Radley, and THAT'S when she went to jail. We never learned about Toby, Cece, or Ezra being A. If anything comes up that happens after 3A, assume it happened before Mona's arrest. Hope that helps! And now for your chapter, which I hope you enjoy :)**

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><p>"Mommy, are we there yet?"<p>

"Not quite, Elijah," Spencer said as she turned around from her position in the front passenger seat of the car to face him. The car was currently soaring down the highway as her husband, Toby, steered.

Elijah, Spencer and Toby's five-year-old son, contorted his face into a frown, but then his baby blue eyes lit up as he had another idea. "Daddy, are we there yet?"

Toby just laughed as he kept his eyes on the road. "If your mother says we're not there yet, then there's a pretty good chance I'm going to say the same, sport."

Elijah just slumped into his car seat, starting to give up on the game he had set up in his mind, while his little sister, Aiden, laid sound asleep in her own car seat. Spencer sighed as she turned back around, closing her eyes and taking in the rush of cars and the sound of her children, healthy and content, in the back seat. It brought peace to her. Peace that, God knew, she needed right now.

As she lay back in her seat for a while, she suddenly felt someone squeeze her hand tightly, and when she looked up, Toby was smiling at her. They had gotten off of the highway, and were now at a stoplight.

Spencer squeezed Toby's hand back. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Somehow, yes, you did," he said.

Spencer frowned. "You know, it's perfectly normal to deal with stressful situations by sleeping. In fact, that's the natural process of the brain. When you're stressed, your mind has a lot of memories and emotions that it simply can't process while awake, especially since you need at least 7 hours of sleep to be able to store so much information, so when you get to the point that you can't handle it - "

"Slow down there, tiger," Toby interrupted, his eyes widening. "It wasn't a challenge, I was just clarifying."

Spencer finally closed her mouth, feeling steam escape her ears, but when Toby took her hand up to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on it, she felt herself calm down. He had that effect on her, and it rarely ever failed. "In all seriousness, how far are we?"

"No more than ten minutes," he said excitedly, but as the light turned green and he stepped on the gas, Spencer watched as his face changed from one of encouragement... to one of concern.

"Are you ready?" he asked gently, and Spencer just threw her head back in exasperation.

"You mean to set foot into the town where I was tormented, humiliated, and almost _killed_ at least five times?" Spencer said sardonically. "Couldn't be more ready if I tried."

When she rolled her head over to the side, she saw Toby giving her a look, and she softened. "I'm sorry, that was rude."

He held up a hand, signifying this was okay. "You have every right to feel that way," he said earnestly as he put his turn signal on, getting into the lane leading to the nearest exit. "I don't know why they're dragging you back into this."

Spencer scoffed. "When I find out who's defending her I'm going to - "

"_Children_," Toby warned. "In the _back seat._"

Spencer turned around, and while both of her children were still there, they were both asleep. Aiden hadn't opened her eyes since they had started the trip, but now Elijah, who must have gotten tired of pestering his parents, was dozing off in the back, his head drooping to the side as it revealed the mass of sandy blonde curls on top of it. _He's the spitting image of his father_, Spencer thought docily, looking down at her little boy with so much love and affection, and it was true. He didn't just look like Toby, but he _acted_ like him, too. He was such a gentle, happy spirit, and he had a strange ability to make her feel better on her darkest days, just like his father did.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Toby asked, still keeping his eyes on the road as Spencer turned back around, her high ponytail whipping into her face as she sat upright in her seat.

Spencer smiled as she jerked her head toward the back seat. "The little tyke back there," she answered, and Toby smiled to himself.

"I still can't believe he's in kindergarten now," he said incredulously. "It won't be too long until Aiden's up there with him."

Spencer put her hands up to her forehead, the tips of her fingers at the corners of her eyes. "Don't even remind me," she said. "I never want them to grow up."

"Well, they kinda have to at some point," Toby said reasonably as he rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Just like you and I have had to grow up. Did you ever think that when we were having dinner dates in my old apartment above the Brew that we'd end up being such good parents?"

"Back in high school, I could never even see further than two weeks ahead," Spencer said honestly, and it was true. Having a sociopathic cyberstalker on your back all the time with goals to end your life often impaired your ability to plan for the future, after all.

"I figured that out on my own the minute we had Elijah," Toby said jokingly. "You promised me a newborn with a six pack!"

Spencer let out a mock gasp as she playfully slapped his arm. "If it means that much to you, I'll see what I can do if we ever have a third child."

Toby raised his eyebrows up to his hairline, and Spencer knew why. Spencer wanted another child so badly, but Toby was skittish about it. Spencer knew that he loved both of his children to the moon and back, but with Aiden, Spencer had a very shaky delivery. Aiden was a month early, and very small when she had finally come out. The doctors had to take her to the NICU, and Spencer, still weak from giving birth, had broken down into tears, distraught that they had taken her little girl away from her. Toby had taken care of her, staying by her side the entire time in a desperate attempt to keep her calm, and even Elijah, only four at the time, had held her hand and told her how much he loved her and how excited he was to have a little sister. Toby and Spencer didn't want to tell him that Aiden might be unhealthy, and were so incredibly worried that something would happen to her, but after a few days they took her out good as new, ready for them to take her home, and both Toby and Spencer had let tears of relief fall from their eyes as Spencer had eagerly reached out for her baby girl, kissing her all over as she promised not to let anything happen to her, to love her for the rest of her life.

After that, Toby wanted to wait to have another child, if they even had one at all. Both were so busy, what with Spencer's law firm and Toby's carpentry job, and taking care of two kids was hard enough. Also, Spencer could vividly see in her mind the pure fear in Toby's sky blue orbs the minute the doctors had pulled Aiden from Spencer's arms, and the sadness his eyes continued to convey as he held Spencer close, wiping the tears from her cheeks, trying to stay strong for her.

Neither of them wanted to experience that kind of pain again.

Before either could say anything else, something around 100 feet away caught Spencer's eye, and she let out a mangled gasp. A sign, with chipped blue and white paint on it, as well as leaves and branches, was in their vision.

_Welcome to Rosewood._

"Toby," she whispered weakly, and he immediately reached for her hand, rubbing soothing circles along the outside of it with his thumb.

"I've got you, okay?" he said soothingly as he laid off of the gas pedal, reducing his speed greatly as he entered the streets of Rosewood. The town looked the same as it always did, and that made her stomach churn. They started to drive past the Applerose Grill where she and the girls had had countless meetings to discuss A and her whereabouts, and up ahead she could see the top of the church where Ian had tried to kill her. "We'll get through this together. The other three girls and I will be there for you."

At this, Spencer snorted. "The other girls and I haven't spoken in years," she said bluntly. "Do you seriously think they're going to care about my well being now?"

"They care about you just as much as you care about them," Toby shot back as he pulled into Spencer's parents' street. "And this trial can be the perfect reminder of what good friends you were."

_Friends aren't meant to last forever, _Spencer thought morbidly as she leaned up against the window. And yet, as much as she tried to accept the fact that she and her friends had gradually parted like the glaciers in Antarctica and the earth's underwater plates that turned one continent into seven, she missed them just as much as Toby said she missed them. What she would give to hear Aria's laugh, or see Emily's smile, or listen to Hanna's voice.

"We're here," Toby said, breaking Spencer out of her thoughts as he put the car in park. Spencer looked up, and sure enough she was staring up at the old equestrian home she had grown up in, as well as the one that she had happily moved out of when she went off to study law, both grad and undergrad, at Cornell University - it wasn't UPENN, and at first her parents were upset that she had broken off the family lineage, but they were satisfied that she was at least attending another Ivy League.

"Welcome home," Spencer said cynically as she unbuckled her seatbelt, straightening out her long sleeved, fitted magenta polo that was so old she considered it a form of sweats, and she and Toby both exited the car and opened the back doors. Toby helped wake up Elijah and get him out of his car seat, and Spencer did the same for Aiden.

"Wake up, princess," Spencer said sweetly as she gently rocked Aiden awake. Aiden stirred slightly, but then blinked as she opened her big brown eyes, staring up at Spencer. Spencer smiled down at her, and at first Aiden started to smile back, but then she started to curl her lip under and wrinkle her forehead, and Spencer knew this to mean she was starting to cry.

Spencer scooped Aiden out of her car seat as she started whimpering, throwing her arms about, but Spencer bounced her up and down in her arms as she tried to calm her down.

As she was doing this, Toby and Elijah had circled around to her side of the car, with Toby holding Elijah's hand and carrying Aiden's diaper bag. He reached into it and pulled out a bottle with milk in it. "Here," he said, handing it to her. "She's probably hungry."

Spencer gladly reached for the bottle, balancing Aiden on her shoulder, but before she could grasp it, her phone had started ringing all of a sudden. Confused, she reached into the back pocket of her jeans with her one free hand, and when she pulled her cellphone out, she was soon even more confused.

"It's Aria," she breathed, making it sound more like a question than a statement. When was the last time she had even spoken to Aria?

Toby just smirked, giving her look that Spencer knew could only be a reference to their previous conversation about her old friends as he held out his hands, requesting that she hand over his daughter. Spencer sighed as she walked over to him, and he carefully took his brown eyed girl in his arms as he directed Elijah into the house. Meanwhile, Spencer took the phone call.

"Hello?" she chirped politely.

"_Spencer? Is that you?_" a small voice on the other end started saying, and Spencer thought she was seeing stars. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Yeah, it's me," she said incredulously. "This is Aria, right?"

"_Yes!_" Aria said excitedly. "_Oh god, I was so scared you had changed your number, and I didn't know _who_ I was going to get on the other end - "_

"_Breathe,_ Aria," Spencer said with a laugh. God, she hadn't changed a bit. Same neurotic energy, same voice, and Spencer was already starting to speculate that she probably hadn't grown an inch since she'd last seen her, either.

Aria started to laugh on the other end, as well, but once she had stopped, an uncomfortable silence followed. The tone was suddenly much more solemn, and as a gust of wind blew a pile of leaves down the lawn, setting the mood, Spencer spoke again. "So I guess you heard," she said seriously.

There was another pause, but Spencer could almost hear Aria nodding her head on the other end. "_About Mona, right?_" she said grimly.

"Yeah," Spencer said sadly. "How're you feeling?"

"_I'm... not sure it's really hit me yet,_" Aria said honestly. "_You?_"

"Same," Spencer agreed softly, looking up at her house that was currently towering over her. She had traveled 100 miles and driven in a car for more than 2 hours to get here, and yet she _still_ couldn't believe that in 2 days, she'd be standing before a court, in a time warp that brought her back to her miserable years as a junior and senior in high school. It was all so surreal.

Realizing she was still on the phone, Spencer snapped herself out of it. "Umm... when do you get here?"

"_I'm only about ten miles away from Rosewood now, but that's what I wanted to talk to you about,_" Aria said tentatively.

"Oh?"

"_I was thinking... it's been so long since we've seen each other. Do you and the others maybe want to maybe go out for a drink sometime during these next few days?"_

Spencer was shocked. It'd been hardly less than ten years since she'd last seen Aria, and it was like they were picking up right where they had left off. Whether that was good or bad, Spencer was unsure, but she felt like any future meetups would lead to plenty of awkward moments to come based on how different their lives were now.

Nevertheless, she looked down at her watch. She didn't know when Emily and Hanna were coming in - Aria was the first to have contacted her - but she supposed if she washed up quickly and got the kids settled, she could have Aria over in a couple of hours.

"I don't know about the other girls," Spencer answered, "but I'm free tonight. What do you say you come over?"

"_Oh."_ Aria seemed slightly caught off guard, but she kept talking. "_Well, I'm not sure about tonight. Ezra and I still might need to get settled, and we have a son now, Tom, so we need to make sure - _"

"No worries," Spencer assured. "We can do tomorrow instead. And you can bring the boys if you'd like!"

"_Really_?"

"Really," Spencer said warmly. It'd be nice to see Ezra again, too, and she was sure their son was adorable. Toby had suggested she try to bond with the girls again, and it looked like that was exactly what she was going to do.

"_Alright, I guess I'll see tomorrow evening, then,_" Aria said happily. "_Does 7 o'clock sound good?"_

Spencer found herself smiling, a wave of nostalgia washing over her as she realized how much she truly missed her friend. "It sounds perfect."

"_Same house?_"

"Same house," Spencer said with a laugh, before signing off with Aria and entering the house.

So she had a conversation with one of her friends for the first time in nearly ten years, was seeing that same friend tomorrow night, and in a few days she'd see her other two friends, where they'd kick Mona Vanderwaal's ass in court.

Maybe the coming events wouldn't turn out to be as bad as she originally thought.

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><p><strong>I just... Sparia. I cannot. But anyway, congrats to everyone who guessed that Spoby was the next couple! And as the sneaky <strong>**eveningshades1107**** already deduced from a reply I did last chapter, Haleb will be next chapter, so so much for that guessing game. But anyway, unless you guys can get me to... hmm, let's make it ****_50_**** reviews this time, your next chapter will be posted on Saturday. If you meet the mark, I'll post earlier ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Not quite 50 reviews, but I'm not complaining in the least because you guys were close, and are still AMAZING! I read and enjoyed every single one. But just keep in mind: the faster/more you review, the faster/more I update, so if you want faster updates on this story, you've got to review :) but I'm so so happy you all are enjoying this story, and I assure you, there's more to come. It seems a little slow at first, but once the trial starts, things will pick up. And the trial starts in about 3 chapters, and there is where you'll find out the answer to a question that a few of you have been asking, which is a major plotpoint in this story, and that is: Who is Mona's lawyer? Again, 3 chapters time, so you've gotta keep reading :)**

**Before I update, I'd just like to give a quick shoutout to hufflepuffhaleb for recommending this story to slytherinezrian (not going to lie, I laughed for HOURS at that because it was so clever). Hufflepuffhaleb is one of my FAVORITES, so I'm expecting you to be just as awesome (and I'm sure you are :)). And to answer nick2591's question, _OT4_ is the name for the friendship between the four main girls, which is my OTP. I ship those girls together more than I ship any other couple on the show, their friendship is so fantastic and admirable.**

**And now, as you all have been waiting patiently for, your Haleb chapter, which features one of my favorite characters in this entire story, and that is Hanna and Caleb's six year old daughter, Audrey Elizabeth Rivers, who is basically the perfect blend of both Hanna ****_and_**** Caleb's personalities. Can't wait to see what you all think of her! So with that, enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review!**

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><p>As the plane slowly made its descent, Hanna took her headphones out of her ears, rolled them up, and packaged them away in her carry on bag, along with her iPod and a magazine she had brought to read. She then turned to the side and looked into the window seat, where her six-year-old daughter, Audrey, had her hands plastered against the window as she gawked at the view.<p>

"Look, mom!" she exclaimed, turning to her with sky blue eyes bigger than dinner plates. "You can see everything from up here."

"That's great, honey," Hanna said with a smile, but then turned back to facing forward. Even though Hanna wasn't looking, she could tell Audrey was frowning.

"You didn't even look."

"I don't need to," Hanna said tiredly as she leaned back in her seat, listening as the plane kept going lower, getting closer and closer to Philadelphia International Airport. "I used to live here, I know what it all looks like."

Audrey gave her mother one of _those_ looks; the ones she gave when Hanna was bitter about something. Usually, Hanna found herself melting when Audrey looked at her like that, and in response would bend down to attack her with kisses as an apology, but for the first time, Hanna wasn't up for it. She simply closed her eyes, blocking her daughter's face out from her vision.

Just two days ago, she had gotten an email from a court official in Rosewood that she would have to stand on trial while Mona Vanderwaal, her high school stalker, pleaded her innocence. It was absolutely disgusting to Hanna, and she despised the fact that she had to hurriedly schedule a flight with three open seats that were _next_ to each other into Rosewood. Worst of all, she had to drag Audrey into it, away from their home in Chicago and into a town that she had to claw her way out of. It wasn't keeping Audrey out of school that she minded - it was first grade, after all, and it wasn't like Hanna was so intense about grades in to begin with - it was the fact that she had to bring Audrey with her into a chapter of her past that she had tried so hard to turn the page on.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm, and when she looked up, her daughter was giving her the saddest look she could muster.

"Why are you upset, mommy?" she asked earnestly. "Aren't you happy that you get to see grandma?"

Hanna chuckled as she patted Audrey's hand lovingly. "Of course I'm happy to see grandma," she said warmly, and it was true. Seeing her mother was the one benefit of this otherwise horrible trip. Leaving her behind was a tough decision to make when she and Caleb left Rosewood, and while she recognized it as something she had to do, she still missed her mother greatly. She was one of the few people who understood her, who loved her unconditionally for her flaws, for the mistakes she always made. She had Caleb for that now, sure, but nothing compared to a mother's love.

Audrey wrinkled her forehead. "Well then what's wrong?"

Hanna sighed. Audrey was her prized possession, and when she and Caleb had her fresh out of college after getting married the summer before, Hanna felt that she'd never seen anything so perfect. She was so compassionate, so loving, so _beautiful_... but also persistent, and the taddist bit nosey when it came to something Hanna didn't want to share.

She definitely got that from her father.

"Coming back is just a hard time for mommy," Hanna said wearily, hoping Audrey wouldn't push the matter. "But I have some business to take care of, and your father was very sweet to come with me to help."

There was a brief moment where Audrey, though she had no clue what her mother was talking about, looking deathly concerned, but then she pushed herself into a straighter sitting position so that she could lean over the armrest and give Hanna a big hug. Hanna was grateful for the hug, and even hugged back, stroking her daughter's long, blonde hair, but eventually Audrey pulled back.

"Don't forget," she reminded, giving her a wide, wide grin. "I'll be here to help too!"

Hanna smiled as she gave Audrey a sloppy, wet kiss on the cheek, sending Audrey into a fit of giggles. "That's _right_!" she said excitedly, but their loving exchange was interrupted by the large _thump_ of the plane's wheels hitting the runway, and as it gradually slowed down a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"_Thank you for flying with United Airlines, you may now take off your seat belts and turn on your cellphones. We are currently in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the time is 5:50pm, and the temperature is 64 degrees. Please make sure you gather all of your belongings before exiting the cabin, and enjoy your stay!"_

_I wish I could_, Hanna thought morbidly, her synapses stinging with resent for the overly cheerful flight attendant. She looked across the aisle, where her husband, Caleb, was still sound asleep, a _Sky Mall_ magazine sprawled across his lap. When Hanna extended her gaze further into his lap to see the page he was on, she saw that it was all gadgets. He had even taken the time to circle the ones he liked best.

_Figures_, Hanna thought jokingly to herself as she vigorously tapped his arm, clad in a grey M.I.T. sweatshirt. At first, Caleb only slightly stirred, but then woke with a start. His chocolate brown eyes fluttered open as he took in his surroundings, but when he laid eyes on Hanna, he broke into a smile.

"Wake up sleepy head," she said playfully as she ruffled his shaggy brown hair. "We've landed."

Suddenly, the cabin lights came on, and everyone immediately started standing up to get their bags. Caleb yawned and stretched out his long arms, but eventually managed to rise to his feet and get his family's bags from the cabinet up above. Hanna rose, too, and looked down to make sure no part of her outfit was out of place. She told herself that today was going to be the day that she went on the plane wearing sweats, her hair in a bun, and not a scrap of makeup on, but unfortunately, she couldn't follow through on that: she had ended up picking out a pair of pastel yellow pants, flats, and a white blouse, with her blonde waves flowing down past her shoulders, framing her polished face perfectly.

After all, it was always a priority to turn heads, no matter where she was at and no matter what was occupying her fourth finger on her left hand.

"Come here, lovebug," Hanna said, holding her hand out for Audrey to grab as the two of them walked out into the terminal with Caleb.

"It's so weird being back," Caleb said out loud, looking around the terminal curiously. Audrey joined him, staring up at the ceiling as she wrapped her tiny hands around the handle of her pink Barbie suitcase. Hanna just groaned.

"Don't say that," she grumbled as she pulled her suitcase along. "We haven't even walked outside yet."

Caleb stared at Hanna, perplexed, but then leaned down by Audrey as he pulled something out of his backpack.

"Can you go throw this out for me, sweetheart?" he asked, holding an empty plastic water bottle out for her. Audrey eagerly nodded her head as she took the bottle from him and walked over to the nearest trashcan, her blonde ringlets bouncing up and down against her back. Once she was out of hearing distance, Caleb rose up from the ground.

"Do you mind not being so grumpy around her?" he scolded under his breath.

Hanna looked up at him, shocked. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you want me to pretend I'm _not_ angry about having to attend a trial where the most conniving person I know can easily twist her story around so that every single person in the jury is on her side? Where the justice we received ten years ago can be thrown away just like _that?_"

"First of all, she can't alter the jury's decision if there's evidence against her," Caleb said reassuringly. "And second of all, I just don't want Audrey thinking something's wrong."

"Caleb, she's not stupid," Hanna said bluntly. "She already knows something is up, I'm just not telling her what it is."

Caleb bit his lip in wonderment. Hanna knew that he was looking to protect Audrey just like she was, but Hanna felt that there were some things that she just couldn't block out, couldn't avoid. Audrey may have inherited Caleb's wits, but she was still so innocent, so naive toward the evil of the world, toward the hate in people's hearts. Right now, she didn't understand what was happening, but when she was older, Hanna had the feeling she would connect the puzzle pieces she was given.

She hated for her daughter to have to be corrupted at such an early age, but she supposed she'd just have to roll with the tide. And the sooner Caleb realized that, the better.

"Hanna?"

Hanna and Caleb looked up, and both simultaneously gasped. Running toward her was a tall, muscular girl with flawless tan skin and a mane of jet black hair she hadn't seen since...

"Emily?" Hanna said out loud, the name feeling foreign on her tongue. God, when was the last time she'd said that name?

Emily ran up to Hanna, leaping into her arms in a tight hug, and Hanna stumbled backward, startled. She hadn't seen Emily since they'd all gone off to college, and now she was here, standing in front of her... well, more like on top of her. And _boy_, had she gotten strong.

Emily finally pulled back, her kind brown eyes gazing into Hanna's. "It's so good to see you," she said genuinely. "Although it sucks that it has to be under these circumstances..."

"Yeah, it does," Hanna said curtly, nodding her head, and an uncomfortable silence followed. They hadn't seen each other in years, and these "circumstances" were really all they could think to talk about?

Caleb awkwardly waved in the background. "Hi, Emily!"

"Caleb!" Emily said sweetly as she greeted him, giving him a hug as he friendlily kissed her on the cheek. "I can't believe we're seeing you guys here. I thought we'd be meeting in the pews in front of a judge and a jury of our peers!"

Hanna cleared her throat, deciding this was a good place to start a conversation. "Did you guys just get in from California?"

Emily nodded her head. "We had to get on a plane so early this morning, but we're recovering _slowly_."

Shortly after, a woman with straight brunette hair, fair skin, and deep brown eyes came up behind Emily, with two little Chinese-looking boys running around her legs.

Wait... what?

"You mean _you're_ recovering slowly," Paige McCullers - could they still call her McCullers? - said tiredly. "I'm not recovering at all! I'm ready to crash."

Hanna giggled softly at this. "I know how you feel. This one," she said as she playfully smacked Caleb in the chest, much to his dismay, "slept nearly the entire flight, but Audrey and I were awake the entire time!"

Emily blinked, her face suddenly glowing, and Hanna could see her making guesses in her head. "Who's Audrey?"

"Here she comes now!" Caleb pointed out as his gaze wandered to the right slightly, and sure enough, running his way was his blonde ball of fire, in her pink corduroy dress and light up sneakers that she had picked out herself.

Hanna bent over next to her, holding her by her shoulders as she faced Paige, Emily, and the two mysterious boys with them. "Audrey, these are some of mommy and daddy's friends: meet Paige, Emily, and..."

"Oh!" Paige slapped her head at the realization. "Almost forgot. Everyone, this..." She then leaned down as well, pulling the two little boys closer to her in a hug as they giggled, trying to break free as their mops of straight, shiny black hair whipped back and forth, getting into their eyes. "This is Blake and Collin."

One of the boys, which Hanna guessed to be Blake, smiled cheekily up at everyone, his rose tinted cheeks rising up to his narrow eyes, while Collin just buried his head into Paige's shoulder, clearly the shyer of the two twins.

Emily beamed as she averted her gaze from the boys back up to Caleb and Hanna, who was standing back up now. "They're twins, we adopted them from China just last year!"

"That's so sweet!" Hanna gushed, and she meant it. The boys, while they looked to be a handful, were _really_ cute.

Emily smiled as she looked down at Audrey, who was holding onto her mother's hand while smiling brightly up at everyone. Clearly she was enjoying all of the attention.

"God, she's gorgeous, Hanna," Emily said quietly, as if the sight of the little girl was enough to take her breath away. "She looks just like you."

"Well, don't tell him that," Hanna joked as she nudged Caleb's arm, and all three laughed. Hanna was pleased; it seemed like the ice had finally been broken.

"Well, we'd love to stay and chat," Emily said apologetically as she grabbed Collin's hand and pulled up the handle of her suitcase, "but we need to get to baggage claim now. But hey, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Hanna nodded her head. "Yeah, see you tomorrow," she said, but while surprising herself with how halfhearted she sounded. It could be because she wasn't at _all_ looking forward to standing in court in front of a girl she had told to fuck off on multiple occasions, but something told Hanna that something else was bugging her...

Paige and Emily parted ways as they pulled Blake and Collin down the aisle, and once their figures were nonexistent, Caleb turned to Hanna, a knowing smirk on his face as his eyes gleamed with the clever wisdom that he was known for.

She couldn't tell whether she loved or despised him for it.

"Mommy, they seem really nice!" Audrey said happily as she swung her mother's hand playfully to get her attention.

Caleb rubbed Audrey's hair as he looked up at Hanna. "See?" he said, in a tone that could be perceived as cocky if she didn't know what he was like, as he pulled his suitcase forward with one arm, and with the other he had wrapped around his wife's shoulder. "We're not off to too bad of a start."

Hanna shrugged. So she had _one_ encounter with _one_ of the girls she hadn't talked to since practically her college graduation. Zippity Doo Dah.

Caleb pulled her even closer as he stared at her, care and concern present in his dark orbs. "We'll get through this," he said determinedly as he kissed the side of her head. "I promise you. I'm not going to let Mona lay a _finger _on either you or Audrey."

"Thank you," she said with a sigh as she snuggled into his shoulder, and the two of them, and Audrey, who was still holding onto Hanna's other hand, walked down the terminal and outside to catch a taxi.

Let it begin.

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><p><strong>Seriously, just writing this gave me feels because I miss Haleb so much. But did you hear? <strong>**_Ravenswood_**** got cancelled! Hopefully the writers will be smart and bring Caleb back because of this. Anyway, I have some incentive for you guys: next chapter is a Sparia chapter ;) I might update tomorrow... but then again, I might not... depends on the number of reviews I get, so review like crazy if you want your Sparia! ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Now that is what I am TALKING ABOUT! You all are so perfect and wonderful and thank you so much for reading my story!**

**I'm gonna keep this short because this chapter is LONG, so I'm just gonna let you skip right to the good stuff. So kick your feet up, relax, and a nice little review at the end would be lovely :)**

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><p>Spencer walked up to the kitchen counter, a glass of wine in each hand. She sat down delicately on the stool, across from Aria, as she handed her red wine to her. Aria smiled as she gracefully took her wine in small sips, her eyes wandering over to the living room, where Aria's son, Tom, and Elijah were immediately hitting it off. Elijah was showing off his collection of Pokemon cards off to Tom, who was jumping up and down in excitement.<p>

Aria laughed at the sight. "I'm just glad he has someone to show him all of this stuff," she said amusingly. "Ezra doesn't know a thing!"

Spencer nearly spit out her wine at the proposition. "He doesn't?" she said through her choking and sputtering. "He never even watched Star Wars as a kid?"

"Not unless Darth Vader was Mark Twain with a vocal enhancement," Aria joked. Spencer laughed like this was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. It was currently the next evening, the night before the trial, and Aria had come over with Ezra and Tom, just as promised. Spencer's mother was currently at the office, sorting out her notes for the case the next day, which she would be defending them at, so until she came back Spencer had the place to herself to host for her friends – that is, if she could go back to calling them her friends.

Even though she and the girls had parted ways, was it appropriate for them to start back up again? Spencer thought it should be, but when she looked at Aria, whose eyes were now currently glued to her son, keeping an eye on him, she felt like she'd be intruding. Just like Aria, Spencer was certain the other girls had lives of their own, and kids of their own that they had to take care of. This trial was just a convenient way for them to reunite and catch up on each other's lives, but she was certain that once it was over they'd just go back to not speaking for another ten years.

But Spencer told herself to stop thinking like that. After all, based on how things could go with the trial tomorrow, this could be the last time in a long time that she was ever so happy. Even though she was terrible at thinking about her future, she was also terrible at living in the moment. Maybe now would be a good time to hone her craft…

Before Spencer could get into an argument with her subconscious mind, she heard footsteps down the front stairwell, and when she looked up, Toby and Ezra were walking down it. Ezra was carrying a six-pack of beers in his hands, while Toby was carrying Aiden, decked out in a sea foam green onesie.

"She's up from her nap," Toby explained as he trotted down the remained steps and handed Aiden off to Spencer. Aiden was rubbing her eyes with her chubby fists, but for the most part she seemed awake. She enlarged her brown eyes and batted her eyelashes as she stared at everyone hovering over her.

Aria crumbled at the sight of Aiden. "Oh my gosh, she's so cute!" she immediately gushed, extending her arms in request to hold her. Spencer complied, handing Aiden off to Aria, who held the baby with great care. "Hi, pretty girl! What's your name?"

"Aiden Rose," Spencer answered for her as Aria bounced Aiden up and down on her lap and Aiden gurgled happily. Meanwhile, Toby came up from behind Spencer, and she felt him place his hands, coarse from excessive sandpaper use, on her shoulders.

"Ezra and I were going to go outside and have a beer," he said, referencing the package of beer in Ezra's hands. "Are you okay to stay in here to watch the kids?"

"We have no trouble with that," Spencer agreed, before narrowing her eyes at the brown haired boy in the family room, who was surrounded by a mound of cards as he tried to show them all off. "Do we, Elijah?"

"No trouble at all, mommy!" he chirped as he ran up to her, kicking the cards in all different directions as he did so. Spencer buried her head in her hands, giggling in embarrassment, but when Elijah came up to her and placed his hands on her legs, staring up at her with wisps of sandy brown hair falling into his deep blue eyes, Spencer couldn't resist. She whisked her little boy off of the ground and into her arms, wishing he could stay this small for the rest of his life.

Ezra then came up behind Aria. "Keep an eye on that one, will you?" he said, pointing at Tom, who was going to the trouble of picking up all of the cards that Elijah had carelessly dropped.

Aria gave him a reassuring grin. "Relax," she said dismissively. "He's already having the time of his life without you. Elijah introduced him to Pokemon!"

Ezra gasped in mock appall. "The horror!" he squealed, sending Aria into a fit of giggles that, eventually, he joined in on. Finally, he lovingly kissed the top of her head, saying he was glad she was having a good time, and went out back with Toby, while she stared after him, a smitten look on her fair face. The sight warmed Spencer's heart. After all of the trouble Aria and Ezra had gone through in high school, they had finally pulled through, and, lo and behold, they were just as in love as they always were.

Aria went back to playing with Aiden, kissing her nose and cooing to her, before finally setting her down on her lap. "I miss when Tom was this small," she said sentimentally as she looked up at Spencer. "How old is she?"

"Eight months," Spencer answered, and Elijah eagerly nodded his head while in Spencer's lap.

"Yeah," he said, "but I'm older!"

Aria then turned her attention to Elijah, lowering her face so that it was close enough to his. "And how old are you, mister?"

Elijah proudly held up his entire hand, stretching out each of his fingers. "Five! See?" He poked his pointer finger on his other hand at each of his extended fingers. Spencer bounced her knee up and down with Elijah on it, squeezing him tightly.

"That's right!" she cooed. "My little boy is growing so fast!"

"Mom..." he managed out, his voice muffled by Spencer's face pressed against his cheek and her arms squeezing all of the air out of his lungs. "You're suffomocating me."

Aria laughed at this as Spencer, feeling the color rise to her cheeks, released him. "Do you mean _suffocating?_"

"That's what I said!" he claimed, once Spencer had let go of him and set him on the ground. She then smiled as she ruffled his curly hair.

"Why don't you go show Tom the books you brought with you?" she suggested. "I bet he'd like the Children's dictionary you got for Christmas!"

Tom, overhearing this, leapt up from his place sorting cards on the ground. "Can I see them, momma?" he begged, jumping up and down as he requested Aria's permission. "Please please please?!"

"Of course you can!" she said, granting him permission. "As long as you come down when we call you, got it?"

Tom rose his hand to his forehead in a salute. "Yes, ma'am!" he said formally, before setting the stack of Pokemon cards on the table and running with Elijah up the staircase to where Elijah would be staying.

Spencer stared after them, in awe. "They're best friends already!"

Aria nodded her head, before narrowing her eyes at Spencer. "A Children's dictionary? Really?"

Spencer shrugged her shoulders in a what-can-you-do fashion as she took her wine glass behind the counter for a refill. "You can never go wrong with an enhanced vocabulary at an early age."

Aria giggled at this as Spencer refilled her glass as well. "That boy is going to be a merit scholar by next year, I bet."

Spencer laughed this off, but in truth, she hoped that wasn't the case. As much as she valued education, she didn't want to push her children the way her parents had pushed her, and there wasn't a chance in _hell_ that she was going to pit her kids against each other, or make them think she favored one over the other. A healthy amount of stress was fine, but if any of her kids started wigging out in high school the way she always did, then she was doing something wrong.

Spencer stared down at the stack of cards that Tom had graciously sorted and stacked. "Tom is just the sweetest thing," she complimented as she came back around, sitting on the same stool. "He's definitely your son."

"What? No." Aria swatted her free hand through the air, denying this. "He's all Ezra. Did you see that curly hair?"

"He has your eyes, though," Spencer pointed out fondly, and Aria blushed, her acclaimed hazel eyes sparkling at the compliment. There was a brief moment where Aria and Spencer held each other's gaze, simply appreciating each other's company, but when Aria went back to admiring Aiden, a silence followed, one that Spencer was unable to analyze. She wasn't sure if it was comfortable or awkward, but from what she could tell, a barrier was put up between her and Aria.

A barrier that had been going strong for ten years, for that very matter.

Spencer circled her glass of wine around the surface of the table. She supposed now was the time to get into the meat and potatoes of the conversation. "This trial tomorrow is going to suck, isn't it?"

Aria let out a heaving sigh as she looked up from Aiden. "It seems like it is."

Spencer took this opportunity to be optimistic. "Well, we need to keep in mind that my mom knows what she's doing, and from what she's told me she's collected a solid amount of evidence and contacted a good amount of witnesses to take Mona down. It'll be done before we know it."

Aria pursed her lips, taking this all in. Spencer raised an eyebrow, wondering what could make her so hesitant, but then she spoke.

"I've thought about that," she finally said as she adjusted Aiden on her lap, "but when you think of Mona, and everything she's capable of, she could almost defend herself without the help of a lawyer."

Spencer snorted, half in surprise, half in amusement, at this as she took another sip of wine, but Aria was persistent.

"I'm not downgrading your mom at all, I promise," she said sincerely. "She definitely knows what she's doing, she's been at this for years! But this is _Mona_, and if there's anything we learned back in high school, it's that when that girl is wound up enough, she can do anything. And anything includes winning a case that she is clearly guilty of."

Spencer felt her skin prickle. If anything, she just wasn't looking forward to the case in terms of having to squeeze into an uncomfortable dress and sit in a stuffy courtroom for a large amount of time, but could they actually... lose?

"Remember when she was released from Radley and somehow managed to make the rest of us look like the bad guys?" Aria pointed out. "She could easily do that again here."

"This isn't in front of a group of morally flexible teenagers who will believe anything they hear," Spencer argued. "This is a jury! With a judge! They're not so easily fooled by a sob story."

"She's older now, and probably even smarter," Aria said reasonably. "Ten years in prison has probably given her a lot of time to think."

Spencer sighed. _She's just as stubborn as she was in high school_, she thought bitterly to herself, but when she looked into Aria's face, she figured there must be a reason for it. She definitely wasn't as naive as she used to be, and there was a look in her face that told Spencer that in the ten years that they had been separated, Aria had done a lot of growing. She supposed taking care of a family and having a son would do that - she would know, she had a son of her own - but while she was always sharp as a tack, she had somehow sharpened that tack to the point that one jab with it would send its victim straight to the hospital. While her eyes held the same innocence that they always did, there was a fire that burned within them.

Maybe Aria knew what she was talking about. Maybe they had to keep their guard up. Maybe they had to prepare for any curveballs Mona could throw at them.

Before either girl could say anything else, the door to the house opened, and in walked Spencer's mother, Veronica Hastings, decked out in her pants suit for the day, with her sister Melissa following closely behind.

"Sorry I'm late," Veronica apologized. "I was tied up at the office, and then Melissa wanted my help shopping for a birthday present - "

"It's fine," Spencer claimed, and Aria waved from her position on the stool in front of the counter. "Hi, Mrs. Hastings!"

"Hi, sweetie," she said warmly as she came into the room and gave Aria a big hug - or at least as big of a hug as she could give with Aiden still in Aria's arms.

"It's so good to see you," she said sweetly, before pulling back, her face lighting up at the sight of baby Aiden, long eyelashes fluttering as she extended her arms for her grandmother to pick her up.

Veronica complied as she scooped Aiden up in her arms. "You, my dear, are just so _precious_," she gushed, and Spencer felt her heart melt. Ever since Spencer had Elijah, and then Aiden, her mother had fallen in love with them, and even though Spencer insisted that she never wanted to return to Rosewood, her mother would constantly make trips down to D.C. to see her and her family.

Spencer could tell that her parents liked _her_ kids more than their own, but she didn't mind. She liked that Elijah and Aiden would grow up with loving, kind grandparents.

Or at least, that's what they'd _think_ of them to be.

Veronica threw Aiden up in the air a few times to get a giggle out of her before cocooning her into her chest. She then looked back up at Aria. "I take it you've been doing well?"

"Just peachy," Aria said with a sigh, and Veronica's features saddened.

"I'm sorry you girls have to be dragged into this," she said solemnly, "but it's the only way Mona can have a fair trial."

Spencer scoffed at this. "Because if there's one thing Mona deserves, it's a fair trial," she said sarcastically as she took another gulp of her wine, only to earn a steely eyed glance from her mother.

"You know," she said warningly as she handed Aiden back to Spencer, "you shouldn't drink around your kids."

"Are you going to tell me you didn't do the same when Melissa and I were little?" Spencer challenged, and at this point Melissa piped in.

"I think you're mixing her up with Hanna's mom, Spencer," she said from the couch as she held up a plum minidress up to herself. Spencer guessed she was wondering whether she should give it to the person she bought it for or just keep it for herself. "Everytime I go to the store to get a cask of wine for myself and Wren, they're all out. Why? Because Ashley Marin bought them all!"

Upon hearing this, Aria turned to Spencer. "Speaking of Hanna, have you heard from her?"

Spencer shook her head. "I haven't heard from her _or_ Emily."

"Yeah, me neither," Aria said as she slumped into her seat. Spencer would have done the same if she weren't balancing Aiden on her lap. Even though she and Aria had gone out of their way to meet up, that didn't mean Emily and Hanna would want to do the same. She supposed they were perfectly happy without them, but whether _she_ was happy without _them_ was something she was still trying to figure out.

"We'll see them at the trial tomorrow," Spencer assured. "And speaking of the trial..." She then turned to Melissa, who was rummaging through the Macy's and Nordstrom's bags lined up on the couch. "Melissa, you're still watching Elijah and Aiden tomorrow, aren't you?"

Melissa looked up from her bags, an expression on her face that told Spencer that this might not be the case.

"Melissa..."

"I'm sorry!" she cried, in an attempt to sound remorseful. "It turns out it's my friend Alicia from college's birthday, and we haven't seen each other in _ages_ - "

"So you would rather back out on a commitment to watch my _kids_ over a _birthday party?_" Spencer seethed, and before she knew it Aiden had started crying. Spencer immediately started bouncing her up and down while holding her over her shoulder, all while giving Melissa a see-what-you've-done look.

Melissa dropped her hands by her sides. "It shouldn't be my responsibility to watch your kids," she snapped back. "Don't blame this on me!"

"You said you would!"

"Things happen! Plans change! Get someone else to do it!"

"Can Wren?"

"Wren will be at work," Melissa barked, as if this entire thing was Spencer's fault. With that, she stormed up the stairs. Spencer then turned to her mother, while still trying to calm Aiden down. "Mom!"

Veronica held her hands out, indicating she didn't want to be a part of this. "I'll be at court _defending you_," she said.

"But, can't you do something to make her - "

"I always try to stay out of it when you girls fight," she said tiredly as she walked out from behind the counter. Spencer couldn't believe it. Who would stay with her kids? She couldn't just leave them _stranded_. Who would feed Aiden? Or change her? Or watch Elijah to make sure he didn't hurt himself? Or _break_ anything? If something in her parents' house broke because of her...

Before she could plunge deeper into her dark thoughts, she felt a warm, spidery hand rub her arm. "I'm sure my mom can watch them."

Spencer felt her entire face light up. "She can?"

"Sure," Aria said with a shrug. "She's watching Tom anyway, so she can handle two more."

"That's very nice of you, Aria," Veronica said gratefully, before she ascended up the stairs to join Melissa, leaving Spencer, Aria, and an anxious Aiden, alone.

Aria then turned back to Spencer. "Wren and Melissa got married?" she whispered as her eyebrows skyrocketed off of her forehead.

Spencer nodded. "Melissa wanted to keep her last name," she whispered back as she reached for the bottle on the other side of the table to feed Aiden. "But they worked things out."

"And how do you feel about that?" Aria asked curiously. Spencer chewed her lip in thought. It was true, she and Wren had attempted to pursue a relationship a few times back in her teenage years, but she doubted he had any feelings for her now. If he did, he wouldn't have proposed to Melissa again. And she loved Toby, so that was that.

"I feel fine about it," she finally said, looking down at Aiden. Her little fingers were wrapped around the bottle as she continually slurped the milk, but once she reached the end, her eyes drooped, and she was asleep.

Spencer smiled down at her little girl. "So, she's done," she said with a relieved sigh, before averting her gaze back up at Aria. "You hungry?"

"Starved," Aria said with a laugh that Spencer joined in on as she rose from her chair.

"I guess I should order the Chinese food then," she said. "Do you mind taking her upstairs and bringing the boys down?"

"Not at all!" Aria said graciously as she rose from her chair and took a sleeping Aiden from Spencer's hands. She started up the stairs, but Spencer stopped her.

"Is there anything specific you want?"

Aria looked back. "I'm fine with anything, but I've always liked the spring rolls, and the vegetarian lo mein is fine for me."

Spencer felt herself grinning at this. "Just like old times?"

Aria broke out into a smile, too, and Spencer could tell she had realized it, too: this was the exact same order she used to get back in high school. "Yeah," she said nostalgically. "Just like old times."

And with that, Aria went up the stairs, and Spencer started dialing the number into the phone before she went over to the window, knocking on it as she motioned for Toby and Ezra to come in to help set the dining room table.

She wasn't looking forward to the trial, but at least she had _one_ of the girls by her side to help get her through it.

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><p><strong>What can I say? I just have a lot of feelings... for Sparia. Especially since the writers are being ASSHOLES and aren't giving us any of it later this season the way we WANTED THEM TO BECAUSE HOW PERFECT WOULD THAT BE? Enough of my ranting (although feel free to leave your thoughts on the lack of Sparia this season in the reviews, because I want to know your opinions on it). Hopefully you guys liked this chapter, and stay tuned, because next time you're going to get some PAILY coming your way! If you get me 20 more reviews, that is ;) and... go!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Prepare your self for the longest A/N in the HISTORY of A/Ns starting... now.**

**Alright, so as you know, it is Wednesday, so when I update on Wednesdays (which I always do) I'm going to introduce a new thing called #RunawayRecaps, where I give my opinion on the episode. So...**

***Spoilers ahead!***

**So. Many. FEELS! Where do I even START? Well, I'll do this by character, and with four specific characters (and only three of which are the four Liars, actually!):**

**First, my favorte part of this episode: Spencer and Aria. "She's Come Undone" NO SHIT! Both of them were having mental breakdowns, and my HEART was breaking down with them, because I can't stand seeing those two upset. I'm amazed, though, because that is two weeks in a row now that Lucy and Troian have carried the episode flawlessly with their talent, and they're both so good at not only portraying these terrible emotions, but also portraying them IN CHARACTER. Aria breaking down is COMPLETELY different from Spencer breaking down, and both of these actresses showed that effortlessly. I was with Aria every step of the way, from when she was crying to the girls in her house, to when she was going on a tiny rampage around town screaming at everyone, to when she SMASHED up his apartment (honestly, _no one_ was as happy about that as ShadowsOnTheMoon and I were, because Aria/Furniture is the greatest ship ever), and honestly all of her feelings were so justified. She feels angry, betrayed, USED, and played, and she's looking at all of her friends and realizing that she could've done so much more to protect them if she had just seen the signs. That's actually what I took from Aria running away at the end: does the quote "Am I just destroying everything I touch?" sound familiar to anyone? In her mind, staying away from her friends is the one way she can make up for all of the harm she feels she inflicted on their lives. And then Spencer... my poor baby Spencer. Go to SLEEP! I thought we had seen the end of Crazy!Spencer last season, but I guess I was wrong, yet somehow this is SO MUCH BETTER! Just when you thought she MIGHT be on the road to recovery, she gets a load of evidence that convicts HER, and then unleashes her insanity on everyone. When she lashed out at Mrs. D, I was legitimately worried about her. Like, I was worried about a fictional character, because that's what this show has done to me (also, WHY would you let Spencer go off on her own when you just SAID she was unwell? Drive her home or SOMETHING!). But then at the end, when she was curled up on the floor of her room in the dark because her parents and her boyfriend weren't doing anything to help except by making her feel MORE insane, I just wanted to wrap the poor thing in a hug. All in all, it was a rough week for my Sparia babies :(  
><strong>

**And then, the HUGE controversy that was Paily this week. Now, I might be a little biased because I am NOT a fan of Emily, but I am all Team Paige on this one. Just... imagine you were Paige in this situation. You just found out that the girl who spent all of her/your adolescent years TORTURING you has just come back to life, and you find out that your girlfriend is HELPING her. That might be Paige being a little selfish/jealous of Alison, but there's also the factor that what Emily is doing is dangerous. And Paige is willing to risk her relationship with Emily and have Emily HATE her if it means keeping her safe. Doesn't that sound a little bit familiar? Possibly coming out of the mouth of a certain beautiful hobo/shady hacker? "Hanna, I'd rather you hate me and be SAFE than the other way around." When he did it, it was sweet and romantic (and it IS!), but suddenly when Paige does it everyone is hating her? Cut the girl some slack, you guys, Paige is awesome, and I just wanted to slap Emily with the way she was treating Paige. And the worst is that she's doing all of this BECAUSE of Alison, which, guess what? Is exactly what Paige fears the most. If we should be getting mad at anyone, it should be Emily. That's just my two cents.**

**And that just about concludes this week's installment of #RunawayRecaps. Stay tuned for next Wednesday for more!**

***End Spoilers***

**Now, how about we get to the actual CHAPTER, and your lovely reviews? ;)**

**You guys went crazy over the Sparia, which makes me happy, because what the writers are doing this season in terms of keeping them apart is criminal. Their friendship is ****_perfect!_**

**Now, ****hufflepuffhaleb**** asked a question last chapter that frankly broke my heart, and that is: why don't I reply to reviews anymore? Part of it is because of how long these chapters are already, but another big part is because I just don't have time anymore. Junior year of high school is kicking my ass, guys. I will try to reply to reviews every now and then as a special treat for when you guys are being awesome (but you're all ALWAYS awesome, so I'll have to be selective with that), but for now, I can't have as many conversations with you all as I would like, which makes my heart cry. But if you want to have a conversation with me, you can always get an account and PM me :) but seriously, you guys are doing such an amazing job reviewing, and I can't believe I'm already past 70 reviews. Please never stop being amazing, all of you. Thank you so much!**

**But on a lighter note, here's one more fluffy chapter for you guys, and frankly, it'll be the last fluffy chapter in this story. After that, the angst picks up majorly. Because, I mean c'mon, it's me. What were you expecting? XD**

* * *

><p>"Emily, c'mon, eat something."<p>

Emily sighed as she continued to stab her pancakes with the fork she had in hand. It was the morning of the trial, and she, Paige, and the boys were currently staying at Emily's parents' house. The trial was in a couple of hours, but she had to be there a bit earlier to meet with the girls and Mrs. Hastings to go over procedures. She was _not_ looking forward to it.

"Em," Paige coaxed, pushing the plate, filled with strawberries, whipped cream, and at least 3 pancakes stacked on top of each other, over toward her legal wife. Emily, even if she didn't show it on her face at the moment, loved the sound of that. _Wife_. As in Paige was _hers_, and no one could take her away.

"Em!" Paige said louder this time, and Emily blinked, finally glancing up at Paige, who was slumped down in her seat at the mere effort.

"C'mon, babe, I worked really hard on those."

Emily just gave Paige a knowing glance as she finally cut a piece off of her pancake and popped it into her mouth. "Nice try," she said. "I know my mother made these."

"I helped!" Paige said defensively, and Emily couldn't help but giggle at the way Paige's brown eyes widened and her fair cheeks reddened. She then put down her fork and reached across the table for Paige's hand.

"I'm sorry I had to drag you into this," she said remorsefully. Paige just smiled sadly as she squeezed Emily's hand back.

"It's not your fault," she assured. "It's really not right that they had to drag you back here, but isn't it kind of nice?"

Emily scoffed. "What's nice about it?" she challenged. "Was it travelling across the country and having to skip training? _Or_ could the best part be having to stand in a courtroom and try not to _gag_ when Mona so much as _attempts _to act innocent? That's always a treat."

Paige just stared at Emily, not saying a word, and Emily sighed. She supposed there wasn't too much to say, anyway. In just over an hour, she'd have to stand in front of a trial next to three girls she used to consider her sisters. Now, she felt like Anna from _Frozen:_ exiled, shut out, and betrayed by the people she considered family.

Finally, Emily pushed her plate away. "I've lost my appetite," she said stubbornly as she stood from the table and dumped the rest of her breakfast in the trashcan.

Paige stood up, too. "Emily," she said sincerely, "I may not understand what you're going through, but that doesn't mean I won't try to be there for you to the best of my ability."

"And I appreciate that, I do!" Emily said honestly as she took her dish to the sink. "But at this point, everything is just beyond anyone's help."

"Emily, everyone knows Mona's guilty. Aliens on _Mars_ know that Mona's guilty! This trial is going to be over in no time, and then we can go back to California and lay out in the sun with Collin and Blake - "

"That won't change anything," Emily said morbidly as she ran the cool water over her dish. "That doesn't change the fact that I have to be in the same room with those girls, and then once it's all over we're probably just going to go back to not even speaking."

"You saw Hanna yesterday, and everything was fine!" Paige claimed from behind. "You guys had a nice conversation, and she seems to be doing well."

"Yeah, without any of us," Emily claimed bitterly as she slammed her hand down on the sink tap and grabbed a towel to dry it, not meeting Paige's eyes the entire time. "I'm glad she and Caleb are doing well, and Audrey is stunning, but you could tell from that encounter that she doesn't want anything to do with me. She was completely aloof the entire time!"

Emily had picked up on this the minute she and Hanna had started talking in the airport. There wasn't an easier book to read than Hanna's face, and when Emily flipped the page, she could pick up on every one of Hanna's emotions. Not one of them was love for Emily, nor was there a single indication that Hanna had missed Emily the way Emily had missed Hanna, and it seemed like all Hanna had wanted to do was get out of there.

It had surprised her, because she had always thought Hanna wasn't like that.

When Emily set the dish down and turned around, Paige was looking at her with confusion. "I thought you liked your friends," she asked gently.

"I do!" Emily exclaimed. "And I've missed them all so much, but then things with you and me happened... and then things with Blake and Collin happened... and before I knew it, I was living a completely different life from a group of girls I used to think I could never live without."

Paige wilted. "I never meant to be a distraction from all of them."

Emily quickly jumped into defense mode. "I didn't mean that!" she cried. "I don't regret anything regarding you and me, because you're the person I want to be with. You, Collin, and Blake mean the absolute world to me. I just..." Emily bowed her head. "It pains me to think that the girls might not have missed me as much as I missed them."

Paige's solemn expression remained on her face, but Emily knew it had nothing to do with how she herself felt, it had to do with how Emily felt. That's what she loved about Paige. She was constantly thinking of others, taking care of them and loving them unconditionally.

"You girls were practically inseparable," Paige finally said, head tilted backward in thought. "Mona brought you guys closer together the first time, and now she's doing it a second time!"

Emily gave Paige a quizzical smirk as she moved in closer, wrapping her toned arms around Paige's waist. "Well, during that time I also got closer to someone else."

Paige cocked one eyebrow upward as she reciprocated, wrapping her arms around Emily's neck. "And who would that be?"

"Take a guess," Emily whispered as she leaned in to kiss Paige on the lips, and Paige immediately kissed back. Emily's hands didn't wander, and neither did Paige's, simply because they didn't need to. Emily just needed Paige to be there for her, to love her, no matter what happened next, and this was Paige's way of telling her that she wasn't going anywhere.

It was a small gesture, but it was all Emily needed to keep going.

The kiss was starting to deepen, until the girls heard the sound of someone clearing their throat in the background.

Emily broke off from Paige to look at the source of the sound, and then immediately retracted her hands. "Good morning, mom."

Pam Fields walked into the kitchen in a velour jumpsuit and a pair of slippers. "Good morning, honey," she said with a smirk, and Emily let herself relax. She often had to remind herself that her mother was perfectly happy about her marriage, something she couldn't exactly say ten years ago.

Pam's smirk soon transformed into a genuine smile. "I have a surprise for you," she said excitedly, and before Emily could question it, a tall male in an army uniform walked into the room.

Wayne Fields gave the most proud, loving grin he had to offer. "How's my Emmy?"

"Dad!" Emily just about shouted as she dashed across the tile flooring, as fast as she could in her heels, and gave him a giant hug as he kissed the top of her head. "What are you doing here?"

He pulled back as he looked into her face, pushing her hair back as he did so. "I heard about the trial," he said seriously. "I'm so sorry."

"That's why you came?"

Wayne nodded his head. "How could I not?" he said compassionately. "I need to be here for my girl."

Emily held her mouth open and her chin tucked into her chest, still unable to get over her initial surprise. Her dad had left his naval base for her. She grinned like a nut as she wrapped her arms back around her father, and through her muffled hearing she could hear him whispering over her shoulder, "Get the twins. I want to see them."

Emily pulled back as Paige ran off, and Wayne surveyed her up and down. "You look beautiful."

Emily looked down at her black pencil skirt, emerald green blouse, black tights, and heels. It was good that her dad approved; she was hoping it wasn't too showy.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "But unfortunately, I need to get going."

"Mommy, don't leave yet!" a small voice shouted as Blake ran into the room, Collin following closely behind. They were both wearing matching striped polos and jean shorts, both being Paige's choosing. Emily smiled as she leaned down and embraced her little boy, giving him a giant kiss on the cheek as she did so.

"Mommy has business to take care of," she said mournfully as she ruffled Blake's hair. She then looked over at Collin, who was standing by Paige. "Well, don't just stand there! I need a hug from you, too!"

Collin then broke out into a wide smile as he ran into Emily's arms, too. She embraced them warmly, never wanting to let go. Her boys meant the world to her, and if anything happened to them in the midst of all of this drama, she'd never be able to forgive herself. She wouldn't _let_ herself forgive herself.

When Emily finally stood up after what seemed like hours, Paige was standing by the door as she shrugged on a black cardigan over her magenta dress. Emily couldn't help but stare. She looked _good_.

"Ready to go?" Paige asked, letting out a heaving sigh.

Emily looked around the kitchen. The kitchen she had grown up in. She had spent time in the closet in this kitchen, and out of the closet in it. This kitchen had seen her at her best, and at her worst. And she had a feeling that when she got back, it'd be seeing her at her worst again.

Emily finally walked forward and reached for Paige's hand. "Let's get this overwith," she said as they walked out to the car.

* * *

><p><strong>Kind of salt on fresh wounds based on what happened last episode, but Paily is just so sweet XD what did you all think of this chapter? Leave a review to let me know! I might be stretching it, but let's see if you guys can get me past 90 reviews before Saturday... And also, be prepared, because next chapter, it all goes down... the trial starts, and you find out who Mona's lawyer is. Any guesses? Sound off in the reviews!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Oh my god you all are so very wonderful. 90 reviews?! Thank you so very much, and shout out to Bagilia for being the final push to get me up there! She's the reason this story is being updated a day early, guys, so you should all thank her by reading her heartwrenching Haleb fic My Heart With You.**

**As a special treat for being lovely, I'm going to reply to you all:**

**BlackBaby:**** It was actually revealed in a previous chapter that Veronica is on the prosecution and is the _girls'_ attorney, but good guess! Thanks for the review :)  
><strong>**JosieCarter: I definitely think that's the main reason everyone is getting mad at her, but it's honestly such a double standard because when all of the other love interests have done something "stupid" to protect their loved ones and have gone behind their backs, no one batted an eyelash. While I think Paige could've handled it better, and it wasn't the best idea for her to corner Emily like that and to try to control her agency, I think that's just a huge part of Paige's character - she falls on her face constantly, but she does so for the people she cares about. Thanks for your review!  
><span>D:<span> Oh my gosh your review honestly made me smile for days. Thank you so much! Unfortunately, this story has already been written so I can't take suggestions, but I appreciate them all the same!  
><span>missdallywinston:<span> Ugh, Frozen is my FAVORITE movie, it was so good. Especially coming from someone who has two older sisters :) and good guess, but you'll have to see!  
><span>OceanSky9:<span> Looks like you don't have to wait anymore!  
><span>hufflepuffhaleb:<span> Hey look, I'm replying now! I had some free time, so I took advantage of it. Glad you liked #RunawayRecaps, and I'm even more glad you liked the chapter! I'm kind of apathetic toward Emily, but I do like Paige, so writing for them is such a treat. Junior year is a bitch, but it looks like you're drowning just as much. Good luck on your exams!  
><span>nick2951:<span> If there's anything that this trial is NOT going to be, it's a cake walk. Once the trial kick starts, it's all downhill for the Liars, and something tells me you're going to be pretty happy about that :) thanks for the review!  
><span>Immisone:<span> I'm glad you share my thoughts (and you caught me, I'm actually a mind reader. Whoops!) because I seriously think Paige has Emily's best interests at heart, which can't really be said for some of the other love interests... not naming names. And you're gonna find out this chapter who the lawyer is, so buckle your seatbelts!  
><span>Paily Yay:<span> Well, this story has already been written, so I can't take that suggestion into account, but thanks anyway! And you'll see plenty of adorableness from the kids, don't wory ;)  
><span>arubagirl0926:<span> Thanks :)  
><span>Stella:<span> Wow, my first reviewer fight! YES! But anyway, she's not ruining anything because I'm not really taking suggestions anyway, but I appreciate how into this story you are :)  
><span>Bagilia:<span> MY BABY! I missed you, bubbah! You are so sending me that playlist later. I'm so happy you're liking it so far, but mainly glad that you like the Haleb, because god knows I'd be waking up to a lightsaber at my neck if I wrote those two poorly. Audrey gets even BETTER, just you wait :) thanks for the influx of reviews, you've earned this chapter!  
><strong>

**Alright, here we go. Day 1 of the trial, and a major turning point for this story. Are you ready? You sure? Well, okay...**

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><p>"Why are we waiting out here?" Hanna said impatiently, stomping her stilettoed foot childishly on the tiled floor. "My feet are killing me!"<p>

"I have a feeling you're going to be standing just as much while you're in there," Caleb said evenly, but Hanna wasn't having it. They were currently in the waiting room outside of the courtroom, and Hanna and Caleb were one of the first ones there. Unfortunately, if they had known there was going to be such a long waiting period, they would have left later.

"That's stupid."

"Calm yourself," he said mellowly, placing his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to be strict, but considering he was as whipped as the icing on a cake, Hanna smacked his hand off.

"I just want this thing over with," she said bitterly. "I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I want to go home."

"We just got here!" he claimed, and Hanna just huffed in frustration. Even though she was bad at showing it, she was grateful that Caleb was here with her. There was no way she could do this alone. After she had taken a few deep breaths, she slipped her hand into his, and it somehow made her feel a bit better.

"The judge is just talking to the lawyers," he explained. "They're discussing questions of law, and chances are Mrs. Hastings is going to have a lot to say if she wants to represent you guys well in the trial."

Hanna looked up at him in surprise. "Well, look's like someone's been doing their research!"

Caleb just smiled cheekily as he flicked his long brown hair to the side, revealing his clever brown eyes. "I took an ethics course back at M.I.T."

Hanna rolled her eyes at this. Sometimes, Caleb amazed her. He was charming and intelligent in the sexiest way possible, yet he had chosen her, someone who had to claw her way out of high school with a below average GPA. She had done perfectly fine at F.I.T. in New York, and was successful enough at Macy's, but if there was anything she wanted, it was to be able to... keep _up_ with him.

Caleb studied her, taking her hand and pulling her in closer to him. "What are you thinking about?"

Not wanting to let Caleb into her thoughts, Hanna wandered her eyes up and down his lanky frame, and was amazed she hadn't started drooling yet. He looked _good._ "How badly I want to rip that suit off of you."

Caleb's eyes widened as he pressed a finger to her lips, trying hard to suppress a giggle. "Are you insane?" he whispered. "The jury is going to hear you!"

Hanna flung her blonde waves over her left shoulder - which was covered by a navy blazer - as she played with his checkered tie. "I got you this for Christmas," she said thoughtfully. "Don't you think it was time you... owed me?"

Caleb bit his lip, as though he was considering it, but in the end he disappointed her. He took her by the shoulders and turned her around. "I think we're going to have to wait on that."

Hanna soon knew what he was talking about. The door to the waiting room opened, and in walked a mob of people, two of whom she recognized.

Leading the way was Emily and Paige, who were walking over to the leather chairs on the far side of the room. When Emily caught sight of Hanna, she nervously waved, and Hanna tightly smiled and waved back.

But then others started coming in, others that looked familiar, but she couldn't put a pin on. There was a man in his late twenties wearing a sport coat the same color as the tan stubble that ran from his cheeks down to his chin, but when she looked at his piercing blue eyes, Hanna immediately recognized him as Toby Cavanaugh. And that must've meant linked in his arm was Spencer Hastings.

No, Cavanaugh. She was Spencer Cavanaugh now. Hanna had to remember that they all had married, and all went by different names now.

Different last name or not, there was not a doubt in the world that Spencer _looked_ different. But it was a _good_ different. She had pinned back her brunette hair into a low twisted bun, and was sporting a teal cardigan with a black peplum dress that hugged her curves in just the right places.

That's right, _curves_. Spencer had _curves_. She had filled out; still slim, of course, but no longer as bony looking as she was in high school, and she was rocking it. She was wearing a pair of beige pumps to elongate her frame, a pair of gold earrings, and a fierce, determined expression in her deep brown eyes.

And directly after Spencer came a shorter girl that Hanna immediately knew had to be Aria. Hanna almost didn't recognize her by how subdued her wardrobe was - she was wearing a purple sleeveless blouse with a black skirt, a tall pair of heels, and a pair of feather earrings that she showed off proudly by pulling the sides of her long raven waves back - but one look into Aria's entrancing hazel eyes and Hanna knew it had to be her. In high school, Aria was very young looking for her age, with her smaller stature and eyes that took up half of her face, but now she looked more mature, more sophisticated. Hanna couldn't put her finger on it, but before she could attempt to analyze it further, a taller man - with his choir boy haircut and razor sharp cheekbones, she knew it was Ezra right away - wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulder as he led her over to where Spencer and Toby were, and the four engaged in conversation while they waited.

Hanna cocked an eyebrow upward in suspicion. "They seem awfully close."

Caleb followed Hanna's gaze, but simply wrinkled his brow in confusion. "They're just talking," he reasoned. "It's perfectly normal for people to want to catch up. Like _you_ should be doing?"

Hanna just puffed her cheeks full of air before letting the air out slowly. What was the point in getting closer to the girls? She knew none of them were happy to be here, just like she wasn't, and any chance of reuniting would be erased once everything subsided with the trial. They'd simply go back to their own lives, breaking promises to keep in touch and breaking hearts that had just been mended not too long ago.

The last thing Hanna wanted was to go through the same thing again.

"Why don't you go up and talk to them?" Caleb said, breaking Hanna out of her thoughts. Hanna looked up at him, pondering this, but then eventually hiked her purse further up her shoulder as she shook her head. "I'm fine."

Caleb's eyebrows practically shot off of his forehead. "Are you sure?" he prompted. "They're... staring right at you."

Hanna shot her head back over, and sure enough, Aria had her eyes glued to Hanna, and a few feet away Spencer was staring her down. Even Emily was looking up from Paige to meet Hanna gaze. Hanna hid her face, feeling herself blushing. It looked like she was caught.

"Go talk to them," Caleb encouraged, bringing his tan hand up to Hanna's back and pushing her forward, much to Hanna's dismay.

"Caleb, stop - "

"Just try it!" he interrupted. "At least one of them. It shouldn't even be that hard, they used to be your friends!"

"Caleb, I really don't want - "

"For me?"

Hanna bit down on her lip, but when she stared up into his caring brown eyes, she knew the gig was up. Finally, Hanna nodded her head and proceeded forward to the other girls. She could feel Caleb's watching eyes on her, but she held her head high as she walked up to Spencer, who was by herself now that Aria had gone to say hi to Emily and Paige, first.

"Hi," she said meekly, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Spencer looked up from the bag she was currently rummaging through, and when she caught sight of Hanna, she gasped. Hanna furrowed her brow, wondering what was wrong, but before she could ask, Spencer quickly plunged back into her bag, pulled out a bottle of what looked like aspirin, unscrewed the cap, and popped a pill in her mouth.

Clearly it was going to take more than ten years for her _anxiety_ to diminish.

"Hi," Spencer said, offering up a relieved smile, like she was happy to see Hanna. "How are you?"

"Under the circumstances?" Hanna joked darkly. "I'm doing alright."

Spencer's smile faded as she set her bag down on her chair. "I guess this is where I apologize for having _this_ as the location for our ten year reunion."

"It's not just your fault," Hanna said evenly. "It's mine, too."

There was an awkward silence between the girls, one that stretched on for longer than Hanna would have liked. Maybe they should have started with a hug. It had been ten years, after all.

Before either girl could say anything more, a man in a police uniform walked out of the courtroom. "We're ready for your girls," he said gruffly, holding the door open. Hanna looked uneasily at Spencer, who offered her a reassuring smile and hand squeeze, before taking Toby's hand and entering through the doors. Hanna stared after her with so many words unsaid, so many thoughts unvoiced.

But then again, why was she complaining? The point of this trip wasn't to get all buddy buddy with her old high school clique. It was to take down the girl who had threatened to take her life away on multiple occasions. And while Hanna wasn't the smartest bulb in the bunch, she was easily able to figure out that self preservation won out every time.

Hanna turned around, and Caleb came up beside her, arm now around her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Hanna nodded determinedly as she started toward the hall, still intertwined in her husband's arms. _Let's do this._

The courtroom was huge. Everything in front of Hanna was made of wood, and there were more rows of pews than she could count on her fingers. Hanna tugged on Caleb's arm as she followed the others over to the table for the plaintiff. When Hanna looked over at the table for where the defendant was supposed to stand, she couldn't help but notice that it was empty.

Before she could ask, Mrs. Hastings came up to her and the other girls. "Hi, girls," she said, offering up a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet beforehand, but I promise I'll represent you well."

In Hanna's peripheral vision, she caught sight of Emily smiling her polite smile, Aria offering her thanks, and Spencer just curtly nodding her head. Hanna suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. It was just like old times.

"Where's Mona?" Hanna asked, trying not to barf at the way her name sounded on her tongue.

Mrs. Hasting's face fell, for whatever reason, as she looked over. When she turned back, she looked more worn, more sorrowful. "She and her lawyer are still discussing some things, but they'll be in any moment. Take your seats."

With that, Mrs. Hastings walked away. Hanna turned to Caleb, confused, but he just shrugged his shoulders as he slid into the pew behind where she was sitting. Hanna sighed, fiddling with the buttons on her blazer, before promptly taking her seat next to Aria.

Aria turned shyly to her, and even though Hanna was staring straight ahead, she could almost _feel_ Aria's eyes on her. Finally, Hanna turned to her. "You could say hello," she offered up.

Aria looked taken aback, but then she smiled warmly. "It's good to see you again, Han," she finally said, her green tinted eyes glistening with hope as she patted Hanna's knee. For perhaps the fifth time in the past few days, Hanna was rendered speechless. She used to look into those hazel eyes all the time when she and Aria would hole in her bedroom with popcorn and _Teen Vogue_, cursing the day boys ever existed to break their hearts. It was the same as when she used to have to grab Spencer's same feeble wrists, the same way she had earlier when she had held her hand, when she had to pry whatever caffeinated beverage she was drinking out of her hand in high school. And she used to stroke those same dark locks, the same that had whipped into her face at the airport yesterday, when she was comforting Emily over whatever heartbreak she had endured.

God, she really _did_ miss her friends.

After several minutes, the jury box had filled, and a man in a long, black robe had come up to the front pedestal (Caleb later explained to Hanna that this was called the 'bench'). It looked like the trial was about to start, but the defendant party still hadn't arrived.

The judge sat down at the bench, before looking over at the defendant table in confusion. But before he could voice further concern...

"What are you doing?" a voice was heard saying outside. "Get in there, _now_!"

There were several whispers, followed by a murmur of conversation from the jury, before the doors burst open, and Hanna gasped at the sight.

The man in a police uniform was standing at the door, glaring at a petite, dark haired girl in a blood red dress and a black cardigan.

Mona Vanderwaal.

Of all of the familiar, yet different, faces Hanna had seen since she had gotten to Rosewood, Mona looked the most different. Her face, once tan and round, had become pale and sunken, her cheeks so gaunt they could surpass as knives. Her hair had thinned, and had lost it's shine, and her arms and legs had gotten so scrawny Hanna felt herself wincing with each step she took, afraid they would snap in half.

A twenty-seven year old should never have to look as weathered as Mona did.

Yet when Mona took her seat, folding her hands in front of her, and looked up, Hanna could see that her spirit had all but waned. For one, even in her worn state, she still looked amazing, and had proven that she still had a keen eye for fashion. And for another, her eyes, while sunken from tiredness and malnutrition, were clouded with a type of ferocity Hanna vividly remembered seeing when she was sitting across from her on a bed at Radley. When she was staring at her with tears of betrayal in her eyes, wondering what she had done to make Mona hate her so much.

Now the tables had turned. Now, Hanna hated Mona even more than Mona ever hated her. Any love she once had for her old best friend, she had tucked away into the deepest pits of her heart, hoping to keep hidden forever. And here Mona was, getting the punishment she finally deserved, while Hanna sat back and laughed at her.

She knew she was being malicious, but maybe she was entitled to it. Maybe things really did change for the better.

Mona turned to the girls, giving them all a sinister smile that made the hairs on Hanna's arms stand straight up. Instinctively, she reached for Aria's hand, encasing it in her own. She could feel Aria jump slightly in shock, but eventually she squeezed back.

But wait... where was the lawyer?

Shortly after Mona had entered, another set of footsteps echoed throughout the back of the room, and all of the girls turned around. Hanna felt her heart stop.

As the person sauntered up to the front of the room, there was a loud clang, and when Hanna looked over, Spencer had lunged toward the person. Hanna and the others jumped into action, pulling her back, but Spencer was ruthless. She thrashed back and forth, letting out mangled shouts that Hanna couldn't understand, but the figure just kept walking until they took their seat. Finally, after Spencer had impulsively punched both Toby _and_ Ezra in the face on accident as they tried to calm her down, Mrs. Hastings came over to settle the matter. Using a combination of adrenaline and motherly strength, Mrs. Hastings pried Spencer away, promptly sitting her down on the pew. Spencer's eyes widened, presumably in pain, but Mrs. Hastings gestured for her not to utter a single syllable.

Spencer bitterly fixed her hair as she looked up front, and immediately Hanna sat back down and followed her lead. The judge stared down at the girls, slightly appalled, but then proceeded. He turned to Mona and her lawyer. "Before we start, perhaps our public defender wants to introduce herself to the jury?"

The corners of the person's lips rose into a business-like smile, one that lowered the temperature in the courtroom 20 degrees. "Melissa Hastings, your Honor."

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><p><strong>Yup.<strong>

**Congrats to everyone who guessed correctly! If you want to see what happens next, and want to know WHY Melissa would do such a thing, then review your pretty little faces off! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Speechless. I am absolutely speechless right now. I cannot BELIEVE you all got me to 100 reviews so quickly! This story was so much fun for me to write (even if I kinda broke my own heart in the process of writing it), and I'm so happy I get to share it with all of you lovely people, so thank you so much for that! Although, I just want to warn you now: don't get too comfortable. Someone asked me if I could promise that none of the couples would be affected by what happens at the trial, and honestly I'm not too certain I can keep that promise. Just because no one dies in this story doesn't mean it's not going to feel like you've been punched in the stomach from feels a lot of the time, so just handle this story with caution, alright?**

**On a (kind of) happier note, here's your next chapter! This is probably my favorite chapter in this story, if I'm being honest, and by the end of it I think it'll be pretty clear why. So enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

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><p>Spencer stormed out of the courtroom, a firecracker ready to be shot into the sky. Her mother and sister were calling her name, but she kept stomping ahead of them, until finally, when she reached the doors and could go no further, she spun around.<p>

"How could you do this?" she spat at her sister, who had the audacity to look at Spencer with dismay, as if she had done nothing wrong. "How could you be defending the girl who tried to _kill me_ in high school? Who killed my _best friend?_"

"Innocent until proven guilty, Spencer!" Melissa shot back. "Clearly you've learned nothing in law school."

Spencer narrowed her eyes, in awe of her sister's disregard for her. "You didn't even _have_ a birthday party to go to today, did you?" she accused. "That's not why you couldn't watch Elijah and Aiden, it was really because you were going to be here. Those clothes you bought weren't for a friend, they were for the _court date!_ You made that whole thing up!"

Melissa shrugged her shoulders, and Spencer felt like she was going to lunge at her again, but then Melissa began speaking.

"Well, don't look at me like that," Melissa said defensively.

Spencer scoffed. "I'll look at you any way I _want!_ I can't believe you would do this to me!"

"Welcome to the world of law, Spencer," Melissa said sharply, her voice cutting through glass to get to Spencer. "People are going to stab you in the back. People aren't going to always agree with you. That's _life._"

Spencer was on the brink of saying something nasty back, of doing damage to Melissa that she couldn't do in the courtroom, but then she drew her attention to her mother, who was standing on the side, a disappointed look on her face.

But she wasn't disappointed in Melissa, it seemed...

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Spencer asked suspiciously. "Why aren't you acting surprised? Aren't you angry that you have to go against your own _daughter _in court?"

Veronica opened her mouth, but closed it just as fast, presumably deciding what to say, but that just made Spencer even angrier.

"You _knew_, didn't you?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in volume steadily. "You knew, and you didn't do _anything!_ You didn't even _tell_ me! You're just going to _let_ her try to keep my high school stalker out of jail!"

"Of course she knew!" Melissa said obviously. "We had to meet before the trial started to talk to the judge. Do you know _anything?_"

Spencer just ignored her sister's jabs. "How are you _okay_ with this?" she screamed at her mother, but Veronica had had enough.

"Spencer, stop making a scene," Veronica scolded, coming around from behind Melissa. "Everyone in the courtroom will hear you!"

"Who cares if they hear her?" Melissa sneered, crossing her arms across her chest as she glared at Spencer. "She needs to learn that she can't get away with throwing a tantrum this time."

Spencer stood back, aghast. "Oh, forgive me for being upset about being betrayed by my own _sister!_"

"I didn't betray you!" Melissa argued. "I'm doing what I think is _right_. Ever heard of Atticus Finch?"

"Atticus Finch had compelling evidence that went against the evidence that the prosecution had provided!" Spencer shot back, tying into the large capacities of knowledge she still had on _To Kill A Mockingbird_ from having to read it for nearly an entire semester during junior year of high school. "The jury just voted against him because Tom Robinson was black and the town was profoundly racist. This is _completely _different!"

"Both of you _stop_ it," Mrs. Hastings scolded again, coming in between the two siblings. Spencer couldn't believe it. Her own _sister_ was going against her in a court case for someone who was _clearly_ guilty of multiple felonies, and her own _mother,_ who was supposed to be _her_ lawyer, was defending her sister. Was there even such a _thing_ as justice anymore?

Melissa, breathing heavily, finally stood up straight and flattened out the skirt of her plum minidress; the same one she had bought yesterday. "Mona had a very convincing story, and I firmly believe that she is innocent of all charges," Melissa finally said sternly, and Spencer thought that if she were to say those words herself, it would be much too difficult. "And because of that, I'm going to help her prove to everyone that she isn't guilty of anything."

Spencer could feel her throat twitching. "Well, you're going down," she said coldly, giving her sister the hardest look she had to offer. Melissa simply rolled her eyes as she turned on her heel and pivoted back into the courtroom. Spencer was about to go in after her, but Mrs. Hastings pulled her back.

Spencer turned to her, broken. "Mom, you can't let her - "

"Honey, I can't stop her," Veronica said defeatedly, but when Spencer looked into her face, analyzed the position of her bone structure and the texture of her eyes, she didn't feel even an ounce better.

"Are you actually saying you would if you could?" Spencer challenged. Veronica paused, staring at her daughter in shock, but that shock turned to tiredness, like she had given up. Finally, Mrs. Hastings just slumped her shoulders as she walked back into the courtroom, not even bothering to give Spencer a straight answer.

Spencer stared after her, hurt beyond belief, but she supposed she'd have to be frustrated forever, because there was no _way_ her mother would see things from her point of view. She never did. So Spencer rolled her shoulders back in an attempt to release some tension as she walked back into the room.

Her footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, and she winced with each step. She could feel every single eye on her; from the girls, from the jury, from the judge, from everyone. She even felt a pang of guilt as her eyesight wandered over to where Toby and Ezra were sitting, blotting their now bleeding noses to try to ease the pain from when she had punched them.

Things were not off to the best start, that was a given. But Spencer held her head high, refusing to let something as small as this bring her down, as she took her seat, keeping her steely eyed gaze back up front.

Mrs. Hastings came up to the desk before them, setting her briefcase on the table as she nodded for the judge to continue. The judge then straightened the pleats on his robe as he turned to the same man in the police uniform from before. Spencer recognized him as the bailiff.

"All rise," the bailiff said authoritatively, and everyone, including the people in the jury, each of the girls, and Mona herself, rose. Only the judge remained seated.

"Department One of Rosewood County Courthouse is now in session," the bailiff continued. "Judge Hugo Forton presiding. You may now be seated."

Spencer sat down with everyone else, making sure her skirt didn't hike up her thighs as she did so. She directed her attention up front, where Judge Forton began speaking.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," he said amicably, yet also seriously. "We are now calling the case of the People of the State of Pennsylvania versus Mona Vanderwaal. Are both sides ready?"

"Ready," both Melissa and Mrs. Hastings said at the same time, in voices that were chillingly alike.

Judge Forton nodded his head. "Will the clerk please swear in the jury?"

A tall, thin man standing by the bench - Spencer assumed this to be the clerk - straightened up and held up his right hand. "Will the jury please stand and raise your right hand as I am right now?"

Everyone in the jury box stood up, and did as the clerk asked. "Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court, and that you will return a true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you, God? Please say 'I do'."

"I do," the jury repeated formally, before taking their seat. Next, Mrs. Hastings and Melissa both had to make their opening statements. Mrs. Hastings started, stating that Mona Vanderwaal was guilty as charged: for relentlessly stalking a group of minors, for blackmailing them into doing things they weren't comfortable doing, and for starting it all by killing a teenager named Alison DiLaurentis. Melissa then stood up, denying all of this in her opening statement and stating that the girls in the prosecution had a lot of skeletons in their closets that had yet to be revealed as Mona's were, and basically said that anything Mona had done was justified, but Spencer wasn't paying attention to either of them. She just stared blankly ahead, wanting nothing more than for this all to be over. She didn't want to be in the same room with her mother or her sister. Hell, she hardly even wanted to be in the same room with the _girls!_ They were just a reminder of what could have been... what _hadn't _been.

She then felt a friendly squeeze on her shoulder, and when she turned around, Toby was looking at her encouragingly, his hand still propped onto her shoulder. Spencer smiled as she put her hand on his, and even rested her head on it. Soon, they'd get out of here. They'd go back to Elijah and Aiden, they'd go back to relaxing with their children in their arms, they'd go back to being _happy_.

She didn't spend ten years of her life in peaceful bliss for it all to end up in misery.

Spencer was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the clack of high heels, and when she looked over, Melissa had sat back down. She had finished her opening statement.

"Very good," the judge said curtly, careful not to show any opinion. "The prosecution may call its first witness."

"Wait!"

Everyone's head turned to a surprisingly feeble voice at the defendant's table. It had come from Mona Vanderwaal.

"I would like to say something," she said hoarsely, and Spencer felt as though an arrow had just been shot up her ass. _What?_

"Your Honor, I object," Veronica said, stepping forward. "The defendant is not allowed to speak yet!"

Judge Forton looked conflicted, averting his gaze between Mona's earnest expression and Veronica's fierce expression, until ultimately he turned to Mona. "Proceed."

"What?!" Spencer was standing now, albeit impulsively, refusing to let this pass. "She can't do that!"

Mona turned sharply to her. "There isn't a single rule that states that I can't speak to the jury," she said knowingly. "There is only one that says I cannot be _forced_ to testify. But I'm not being forced; I'm openly committing to it."

The judge, surprised, turned to the girls. "She is correct."

There was a murmur of whispering among the jury, and Spencer, in a huff, sat down. How did Mona even _know_ the rules? Had she read an entire book on law in the past three days? And then _memorized _it?

They were hardly even five minutes into the trial, and things were _already_ going wrong.

Smiling smugly to herself, Mona stood up and walked up front, but much to the girls' dismay.

"What the hell is she going to do?" Aria whispered through teeth so tightly gritted Spencer was hardly able to detect the nervousness in her words.

"Does she have laryngitis or something?" Emily whispered, on the other side of Spencer. "Why is her voice so hoarse?"

Spencer just shook her head, suddenly feeling ill. What _was_ Mona going to say?

Mona walked over to where Spencer and the others were sitting, now speaking to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen," she said with composure. "As you know, my name is Mona Vanderwaal, and I have spent the last ten years in Rosewood County Jail. I haven't worn fresh, clean clothes since two days ago, and I haven't spoken a single word to anyone during that time... until this moment."

There were murmurs about the jury, and the girls exchanged nervous glances. So _that_ was why Mona could hardly even talk? But even so, what was she _doing?_

"To be able to stand before a jury, and get the opportunity to _defend_ myself, especially for something that I am innocent of, is such a gift," Mona continued. "I know my... worthy opponent will try to bring up some things that will make me look bad, but I want you to know that either they are not true, or there is a reasonable explanation for what _is_ true."

Spencer felt Aria tense up next to her, and when she looked over, Emily was shaking her head in contempt - or at least as much contempt as Emily _could_ show.

"It may seem like I was hard on these girls..." Now Mona was slipping from her composure. Her voice was getting higher, and her hands had started shaking. "But they were the ones who were hard on me."

More murmurs from the jury, and Spencer could feel herself tensing up, too. She was _not_ doing this right now. Spencer started to make a move to stop her, but when she looked over, her mother was silently shaking her head, as if to say, _You've done enough._

"The prosecution claims that I killed Alison DiLaurentis, but I couldn't even if I tried," Mona went on, her entire body now convulsing with vigorous trembling, as though she were caught in an earthquake. "Alison DiLaurentis, the 'sweetheart' of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, was _horrible_ to me." Mona then let out a sob that resembled the sound of a hiccup. "She was conniving and manipulative and refused to let me feel okay about myself. As a fourteen year old, this was _not_ something that I wanted to tolerate, yet I _had_ to." A tear started to roll down Mona's cheek as she wrapped her shaking arms around herself. "And now, here I am, standing before you all, paying yet again for _her_ mistakes. For the mistakes of the four girls before me."

She turned to the girls, whose mouths were agape at what was happening before them. "Apparently ten years wasn't enough for you all," she said brokenly. "Apparently the torment doesn't end here. Are you all really so sick that you want me to go _back?_ Do you really think you're entitled to that much revenge?"

Spencer, speechless for the first time, remained stationary in her seat as Mona stared into her soul with her deep almond eyes. If this was an act, it was a really _good_ act.

Mona closed her eyes as more tears fell. "Well, fine," she said, more calmly now. "We'll see what happens. But whatever does happen, I hope you're all happy." She then turned back to the jury, sniffling loudly. "Thank you, everyone. I hope you make the right decision. Your Honor," she added, as she gracefully curtseyed to the judge. She stood back, taking in the sight of several members of the jury gently weeping, with some even reaching into their purses or suit pockets to pull out tissues, before she pivoted and walked over to her seat.

But before she did, she turned back to the girls, and gave a look. A look that no one else was able to catch. It was a mean look, a sinister look... one they hadn't seen in over ten years.

A look that said, _Try and top that, bitches._

"Yep, we're fucked," Hanna whispered on the other side of Aria, and Spencer slumped further into her seat. It looked like the jury really _was_ easily fooled by a sob story.

Fucked they were, indeed.

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><p><strong>So the trial has officially started, and things already aren't looking so good for our favorite Liars (due to, of course, Mona Vanderjesus being a fucking BOSS!). What do you think they'll do next? Sound off in the reviews! And don't forget to followfavorite as well! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I bet you're all wondering why I'm posting so early... What can I say? I'm in a good mood after the Oscars last night (seriously, though, can Ellen Degeneres host EVERY year? And can I trade lives with that delivery guy?). Who here watched? Were you happy with the results? Which made you angrier: Leo getting snubbed AGAIN, or Gravity sweeping the board just because they know how to work a green screen? And do you all ship JLaw/Pizza as much as I do? Because I ship it A LOT.**

**Enough Oscars talk. Let's talk about how you guys are all slaying in terms of reviews, and I appreciate it SO much, so this chapter is my way of saying thanks. Before we move on, I just want to clarify something: this story is AU. Alison is not alive in it, and season 3B and season 4 did not happen. Mona was the only member revealed to be on the A team as far as we know, and the only plotline from 3B that is sticking here is Mona being released from Radley so she could make the girls all look bad, but she was caught and thrown into jail very soon after she was released. After that, the show and the characters took a different path.**

**Now for the chapter. I'm just warning you guys now: I am not an expert on law practices, so this is most likely not going to be entirely accurate, but I did my best. So enjoy, and don't forget to review/follow/favorite/WHATEVER at the end!**

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><p>"The prosecution may call its first witness," Judge Forton said professionally as he banged his gavel against the wood, a loud <em>THWACK <em>reverberating throughout the courtroom as he did so. Aria winced as the sound rang in her ears. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but she was incredibly overwhelmed by this entire thing. The walls felt like they were closing in, her clothes felt like they were sticking to her skin, and there were suddenly way too many people in the room.

In order to calm her nerves, she craned her neck so that she was facing backward, looking to Ezra for reassurance. Her anxiety must've been obvious, because he immediately sat up and put out his hands, gesturing for her to take deep breaths as he looked at her with concern. She nodded her head, complying, and he gave her a small wink before she faced forward again.

Up front, Veronica Hastings nodded her head. "The people call Lucas Gottesman to the stand."

Instinctively, Aria turned to Hanna, who simply shrugged, claiming she knew nothing about it. As this was happening, a twerpy looking male with black hair, fair skin, and beady dark eyes came up front. He was wearing a nice, tailored suit, and he even looked like he had shaved for the occasion.

Lucas Gottesman, after only about ten years, curtly nodded toward the girls before he walked up to the clerk, who swore him in before directing him toward the witness stand. Aria could hardly believe it. She had left so much behind when she vowed to leave Rosewood for good, and now it was just taking some stupid, spontaneous murder trial for all of the abandoned memories to plop down at her feet? Even worse, the sound of the scribbling of pens from the reporters a few yards away from her told her there'd be plenty of upcoming newspaper articles to rub all of the abandoned memories in her face.

"Mr. Gottesman," Mrs. Hastings said, loud and clear, as though no one could hear her if she spoke at any softer volume. "You have claimed to have witnessed Miss Vanderwaal's wrongdoings, have you not?"

Lucas gulped loudly, his adam's apple bobbing up and down against his throat. "That is correct."

Aria narrowed her eyes. The only reason Lucas knew about Mona's wrongdoings was because he was working for her at one point. Was Mrs. Hastings going to hint at that? And if she did, wouldn't that mean good things for Mona?

"Mona Vanderwaal was blackmailing me to go along with her little scheme," Lucas confessed as he played with the folds of his tie nervously. "And when I told her I didn't want to be a part of it anymore, she wouldn't let me get away with it."

"How do you mean?" Mrs. Hastings prodded. "What did she do to keep you wrapped around her finger?"

Lucas's expression hardened, and before anyone could protest, he lifted his foot onto the desk in front of him and pulled up his pant leg. Several members of the jury gasped, and Aria felt like she was going to faint.

Right there, above his ankle, was a long, ugly looking scar. One would think it would have healed by now, but apparently time had only allowed it to get more infected.

"She tried to run me over with a car in the middle of the night," he said gravely. "And as I recall, she didn't once step off of the gas pedal. Mona aimed to kill, and if my guess is correct, she still does."

Aria leaned forward, looking over at the defendant table. Mona seemed completely unphased; she had her arms folded over to surface of the table as she stared ahead, her hollow cheeks sucked in, making her somehow look even more sinister. Yet when Aria looked closer, she noticed the look in Mona's eye. It was cold, yet there was wisdom behind it.

Almost like she knew something.

Was Mona... _threatening_ Lucas?

"So just to clarify," Mrs. Hastings continued, "she blackmailed you into helping her torture and stalk a group of teenage girls, and then tried to kill you when you refused."

Lucas glanced over to Mona, but obviously didn't take her threat into account. "That's exactly what she did, and I bet she's not even sorry about it. I bet she even had a trail of minions, and she would hold their baggage over their heads just as well."

"What are some examples of some of the things she would make you do?" Mrs. Hastings asked. Lucas's eyes widened, but he eventually composed himself as he started answering this question.

"I would have to deliver messages, stakeout, that kind of stuff. It wasn't anything major, but that's only because she reserved the illegal stuff for herself."

"And while she had you do all of these things for you," Mrs. Hastings said, moving in even deeper, "it was just her. She was the one running this entire thing, correct?"

"As far as I knew, she was the only one," Lucas confirmed. "But for one person, she could do a world of damage. I knew if I said anything, she wouldn't hold back the next time she was behind that wheel. So I kept my mouth shut and did her dirty work... but I'm not anymore."

Mrs. Hastings just kept nodding her head, a neutral composure about her. Aria sat at the edge of her seat, watching. She was entranced. Lucas admitted he was working for Mona, but was able to word it so that she sounded like the bad guy. Mrs. Hastings was asking all of the right questions, and Lucas was giving all of the right answers. Maybe they'd be out of here faster than she originally thought.

"Mr. Gottesman, as you are aware, Miss Vanderwaal wasn't just charged for ruthless stalking," Mrs. Hastings continued. "She was also charged for the alleged murder of Alison DiLaurentis. You claim she is guilty as charged for ruthless stalking. Do you also conclude that she is responsible for the death of Miss DiLaurentis?"

Lucas nodded his head, somewhat more confidently this time. "I do," he said roughly. "Whenever we would... meet, she would always talk about Alison. How she was upset about what she did to her, and was glad she got her revenge. She's definitely capable, and I think she did it."

He then narrowed his eyes, his face turning a shade of red. But not a flushed kind of red; a shade of red seen on a chili pepper. Lucas was _livid._

"She's not fooling anyone with this innocent act," he seethed. "And she's _definitely_ not fooling me."

There was silence in the courtroom as Lucas faced Mona, who had a surprised look on her face, but Aria couldn't tell if she was faking it, or if she was _genuinely_ surprised at Lucas's bravery.

"Thank you, I have no further questions," Mrs. Hastings said, satisfied, as she walked back over to where the girls were sitting, standing by their side. There were very small whispers among jury members, but Aria wasn't even paying attention to them. She was, however, paying attention to Mona, who was whispering something into Melissa's ear as Melissa nodded her head, a determined look on her face.

"Does the defense wish to ask any questions?" Judge Forton asked, but he had barely finished his question before Melissa shot back up.

"Actually, yes, I do, your Honor," she said coolly as she walked up to the witness stand, and Aria stiffened. What did Mona say to her? What was she going to say to Lucas? What the _fuck_ was happening?

Melissa walked up to the stand, arms crossed as she tapped her perfectly manicured nails on the inside of her arms. "Mr. Gottesman," she said formally, "you said that my client blackmailed you, did you not?"

"I do recall saying that," Lucas said, somewhat snarkily even, but Melissa didn't even flinch. She just kept her cool, collected demeanor as she paced back and forth in front of the witness stand. Lucas was looking at her in confusion, wondering when she was going to say something, and Aria leaned forward, straining her ears as she wondered if Melissa had said something that she missed. But Melissa's next words Aria was able to hear clear as day.

"Do you mind filling me in on what it was you were being blackmailed for?"

Lucas froze, his face draining of color as he tried to form his words, but it seemed like his tongue had failed him. Aria's eyes widened. If she remembered correctly from what Hanna had told her, Mona blackmailed Lucas for selling test answers. And such activity was _illegal..._

Shit.

"A-actually, I do mind, ma'am," he stuttered out as beads of sweat started to collect on his forehead. "I don't feel comfortable sharing such personal information in front of a jury."

"Interesting," Melissa said thoughtfully as she started to pace again. Her heels clicked against the floor with an astounding sense of rhythm to them. _Clack. Clack. Clack..._

"Well, perhaps you can clarify some other things for me," Melissa started again. "While you were being blackmailed - for reasons you do not care to admit - you were doing petty jobs for Mona, including delivering messages."

_Clack. Clack. Clack..._

"That is right."

"But you said she was the only person that you worked for, the only one who committed the crime," Melissa continued logically, still continuing to pace around the desk in front of her. "How could that be, when you were delivering messages to more than one person?"

_Clack. Clack. Clack..._

"Well, I don't know anything about that," Lucas claimed indignantly. "All of the messages I had to deliver were in sealed envelopes. They didn't necessarily have to be to people she was working with. She was involved in a large web of blackmail, so it could've been that!"

"True," Melissa considered as she halted her pacing, "but if my client were to be considered guilty of all charges, do you think it would be _right_ for her to have to take the blame for all of it?"

"I don't see why not," Lucas challenged.

Melissa raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, and Aria felt the atmosphere in the room alter into that of arctic temperatures as Melissa began pacing again. "Well, consider the following," Melissa continued. "You consider my client to be held responsible for everything that happened to these girls, and to Alison DiLaurentis herself."

_Clack. Clack. Clack..._

"Y-yes, I do," Lucas said slowly, and Aria winced. She was cracking him...

"But that's impossible," Melissa said firmly. "Consider ten years back. You were all _teenagers_. What teenager would be capable of murdering another teenage girl, covering up all of her tracks, and then proceed to torture and stalk four other teenage girls at the same time, and on a school night?"

"_She_ would be capable!" Lucas said desperately, holding his hand out to Mona, who was sitting at her desk smugly, enjoying the show. Aria had to suppress an eyeroll at the sight.

"I watched her, I know what she can do!" Lucas pleaded, starting to lose his temper. "She could be everywhere, _and_ nowhere, at the same time! I don't know how, but she _did_ it!"

"But she had help from you, and possibly others," Melissa reasoned, still remaining totally professional and composed while Lucas looked like he wanted to fling his chair at her. "She enlisted help from people who hated the girl, Alison DiLaurentis, as well, and from what I understand it wasn't that hard to find. And from what I also understand, you weren't too fond of the girl either."

_Clack. Clack. Clack..._

"That doesn't matter!" Lucas cried, clearly overwhelmed by the pressure. "She _killed_ a fourteen year old! In _no_ _way_ can that be compensated for!"

"Mr. Gottesman, I'm going to need you to stay calm," Melissa said mellowly, as though she were taming a beast. It was a woeful sight, but Aria couldn't pry her eyes away. Lucas was breathing heavily, his hair curling at the ends, while Melissa just stood there _watching_ him lose his mind.

"I... I can't," Lucas said softly. "This isn't alright. I won't stand here and just _watch_ her get off scott free!"

_Clack. Clack. Clack..._

"If that's not something you want, you're going to have to prove that she doesn't deserve such a thing," Melissa said calmly, but Aria detected a threatening undertone. "Can you prove to me that my client is guilty of _all_ of the charges she is up against?"

"Yes!"

_Clack. Clack..._

"And she didn't have help from anyone?"

"That is correct."

_Clack. Clack..._

"Mr. Gottesman, are you aware that you have sworn to tell the truth, and can tell nothing but the truth, unless you yourself want to be imprisoned?"

"I am aware of that, ma'am."

"Then tell me this, Mr. Gottesman," Melissa said, someone more forcefully now as she stopped pacing right in front of Lucas's stand, standing still on her heels with one final _clack._ "You claim that my client tried to run you over when you refused to give into her blackmail anymore. Did you or did you not see her face in the driver's seat?"

The silence was so thick in the room, it could have been sliced with a butter knife. Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but once again, words were failing him. Aria watched in shock, and looked to the other girls, who looked just as bewildered. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"I... that was ten years ago, ma'am," he sputtered out. "I couldn't _possibly - _"

"You remember," Melissa spat, a neutral expression still on her face as she pursed her lips. Almost in sympathy. "You wouldn't forget something like that. Tell me... did you see Mona Vanderwaal's face or not?"

More silence. The jury was even starting to get antsy, but Lucas was still physically incapable of answering. Aria watched, daring herself not to blink, afraid to miss even a second. _Say yes... say yes... just say..._

"No."

The word was squeaked out, hardly even audible, and a scattering of gasps came from the peanut gallery. Aria felt her skin tighten. Did Melissa just... _win_ a round?

She _had_ won a round. On a case that should have already been in the palm of their hands.

She was _good_.

As though Melissa could read Aria's mind, she turned around to the girls, a chilling smile on her face that sent a shiver up Aria's spine. Aria didn't know what her motivations were with this case, but all she did know was that as long as Melissa was running it, more things were bound to go wrong.

"We have no further questions, your Honor," Melissa said slimily. She spoke the words to the judge, but kept her eyes on the girls, before walking back to her desk, her heels still clicking against the hardwood flooring.

_Clack. Clack. Clack..._

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><p><strong>Have you ever seen a greater dream team than Melissa and MONA? What would their ship name be? Someone come up with one for me.<strong>

**I will not be updating tomorrow in case anyone is wondering. I'll be sitting on my couch nursing a mug of hot chocolate while my eyes are glued to the TV screen, because NEW PLL TOMORROW! But if you guys get me up to 140 reviews, I'll upload another chapter on Wednesday, so get cracking!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I know, I know, I'm a day late. I hereby give you permission to throw carrot sticks at me. No, but seriously, guys, I had no idea yesterday was going to be as busy as it was, I'm really sorry. You guys literally got me past 140 reviews, and I can't thank you enough. Well, I might be able to with this weeks #RunawayRecap...**

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

**While I don't think this episode was as good as the two preceding it, it had its moments. For one... okay, I hate it when either of the girls go off macking off with random guys, but I actually loved Riley, I thought he was adorable! And I can leave it at that since we're not gonna see him again, which makes me inexorably happy because I can't get enough of FuckIt!Aria who destroys everything in her path like she's on some Mongol march and has ONE NIGHT STANDS (mainly because Hungover!Aria is a hilarious branch off of FuckIt!Aria) and kicks her creeper ex-boyfriend in the balls before exiling him completely. Can we keep this Aria forever please?**

**And for another... CAN WE KEEP CREEPER MRS. DILAURENTIS FOREVER PLEASE? I believe Andrea Parker is the name of the actress who plays her, and she is a marvel. She's creepy in the best way possible, the way that was MADE for this show! To quote my idol Heather Hogan, "even her posture is aggressive and awkward and menacing and proper." She's amazing, and SO Ali's mom, let's be real. Do you all think she's A? Or is Ezra just messing with the girls by handing over a fake manuscript?**

**Okay, and another reason I loved this episode, and I never thought these words would leave my mouth/my fingers... but FUCKING EMILY FIELDS YOU BADASS! I thought it was the end of it when she told off Fitz, and I would've been happy with just that, but when she stood in front of Mona's (!) car while she was backing out, I lost it. Emily... stood in front of an overlord who once ran over her best friend without hesitation... I'm so proud of her.**

**I am not, however, proud of this SHOW, for literally having Spencer and Aria be alone in a bedroom together, and NOT GIVE US A SCENE WITH JUST THE TWO OF THEM! They are legit trying to deprive us of them... which I guess is okay in the longrun because it's spurring a SHIT TON of amazing fanfic, but still. But, like, Aria could tell Spencer how she would never think she's capable of murder, and Spencer could comfort her about Ezra and tell her that she just wants her to be safe and get all protective and adorable and oh god now I'm having feels...**

**I guess the best way I can think of to dig my way out of these feels is to talk about Hanna, who is going to send Spencer back to Radley with the way she keeps cracking cases in seconds, while it would've taken Spencer 20 bird whistles, 37 burner phones, 8 dry cleaning notes in red coats, and 89 wedding dress escapades in the woods. So... 6 months. Oh, and not to mention you'd have to factor in another month for the number of times she'd have to follow a trail of blind people like a lineup of army ants to a storage locker that holds a lunchbox with a Maurader's Map in it.**

**And then Travis, who I actually felt so bad for. I am not a Tranna shipper, but I will say I think they can be cute together while Caleb is still in Ravenswood (not for long!). But when Caleb comes back, audios Travis! Still, their date was adorable, and he really is such a gentleman, and I can't help but want him to be happy.**

**And that concludes this weeks tear-stained, feels-filled edition of #RunawayRecaps. Stay tuned for next week, the episode before the finale!**

***END SPOILERS***

**And now, your chapter. This one is another one of my favorites, because it involves a friendship that mainly functions by bickering with each other over petty things, but when they're sweet, they're SO sweet. And I think this is one of those moments, so get your tissues ready!**

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><p>Hanna ran out of the courtroom like she was running out of a fire. The judge had called a five minute break, and she couldn't be more grateful for it.<p>

The case was going horribly. The ball had gotten rolling the minute Lucas was seen as an unreliable witness, and it had started rolling steadily downward with increasing speed. Every piece of evidence they had acquired, Melissa and Mona had somehow found a way to counter it. Exhibit A had been the keys to a white minivan that was home to the A team lair once, but Mona had simply claimed that it was a minivan that belonged to her family, which they used for long road trips. Exhibit B had been the fingerprint analysis on a cellphone that was connected to mass texting the girls several times, but Mona had brushed this off, claiming any connection she had to that had to do with her working at a Verizon store once during high school. After that, Hanna had lost track of the number of exhibits, because clearly Mona was winning the jury over with her destitute new look and puppy dog eyes, throwing excuses left and right, surprising Hanna with her ability to keep all of the lies straight. Every once in a while, though, she caught Mona stealing glances at her, and they weren't sinister glances. They were almost... apologetic?

Hanna wasn't falling for her act of innocence the way the jury was, though. She didn't need anyone's sympathy. A cigarette, however, was something she could use at the moment.

"Hanna, wait!"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and nearly jumped three feet in the air, but when she turned around, it was just Caleb.

Hanna felt the skin prickle on her arms, but silently told herself to stop being so dramatic. That tendency had stopped years ago; why was it starting back up again?

Caleb hesitated, seeing her reaction, but then retaliated as he held onto her hands, looking into her eyes with concern. "Don't let this get to you," he said caringly. "Things will turn up soon, I promise."

"How do you know that?" she whimpered. "They're clearly winning!"

"It's only the beginning of the trial," he reassured, but that just got Hanna even more riled up.

"I know," she said bitterly as she adjusted her blazer on her shoulders. "That's the part that _sucks_."

Caleb sighed, at a loss for words, and Hanna couldn't blame him. "It'll be over before you know it," he finally said, but Hanna knew him well enough to know this was just last resort for him. With that, she simply huffed as she removed her hands from his and walked away, claiming she had to use the bathroom.

But she didn't go near the bathrooms. Instead, once she was out of Caleb's sight, she walked toward the nearest door, where she slipped outside, reaching into her purse for a lighter and a pack of Marlboros just as the door was closing.

Somehow, during the last ten years, Mona had gotten even smarter than she already had been, and the fact that she had teamed up with Melissa, the definite smarter Hastings (although she wouldn't _dare_ tell Spencer this), made this case even more impossible for them to win. She should have known that going into all of this. Why didn't she just call off the trial? Why did she have to get herself into this whole mess? Why did she _actually_ feel like she could win this thing?

Just as she was lighting the cigarette and putting it to her lips, the door opened, and the slim silhouette of Spencer Cavanaugh walked through the opening. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the cigarette between Hanna's long fingers, but Hanna simply rolled her eyes.

"It's a cigarette, Spencer, not the second coming of Jesus," she snapped. "Don't act like you've never seen one before."

Spencer's eyes got even wider, but they returned to normal size as she shut the door behind her. "I just didn't realize you smoked."

Hanna pulled the cigarette from her mouth and let out a ring of smoke. "There's a lot you don't know about me," she pointed out as she turned her head to the side to avoid seeing Spencer's stunned expression. She didn't know why she was being so cold to her old friends when they really hadn't done anything wrong, but she couldn't help it. It all just felt so... off.

"But I'd like to get to know more," Spencer said from behind, and Hanna turned back around, giving her a look.

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Does Caleb know you smoke?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow up past her forehead. At this, Hanna took another huff of smoke as she rolled her eyes again. Yes, Caleb did know; he just didn't know she had gotten back into it again. She had been so good for the past year, but now that there was pressure on her shoulders from this trial, she was slipping back into her old ways. But it wasn't like it was some huge secret she had been keeping from him. They shared just about everything else, after all, so she wasn't too worried about it.

"The less he knows, the better," she finally answered cryptically. "Animagus is bliss."

"You mean _ignorance_ is bliss," Spencer corrected, proving she hadn't changed since high school. "_Animagus_ is a term coined in the Harry Potter books, but cannot be used accurately in real life situations. If you want to correctly use the idiomatic expression - "

"_Got it_," Hanna said, cutting her off as she frustratedly put out her cigarette stub by shoving it into the concrete wall next to her. When she looked up, Spencer hadn't left, so Hanna assumed she'd have to find a way to keep the conversation going. She hiked her purse further up her shoulder and leaned against the wall, getting comfortable. "What are you doing out here?"

"Getting some fresh air," Spencer said with a shrug, only causing Hanna to laugh cynically as she stared up at the noxious fumes above her. Spencer considered _this_ fresh?

"Well, I don't blame you," she said as she leaned her head back against the wall. "Your sister is a real piece of work."

"Tell me about it," Spencer said as she crossed her arms against her chest. "I can't believe she would do something like this."

Hanna nodded her head, admittedly feeling sorry for Spencer. With all three of the Hastings women in court, she could see why this was all looking a bit awkward. And with how competitive Spencer and her sister were, Hanna couldn't even imagine what would happen if Melissa were to _win_ the case...

But she wouldn't win the case. They were going to, no question... right?

"So I talked to Emily," Spencer said abruptly, moving the conversation forward. "She said that she saw you at the airport yesterday."

"That's right," Hanna confirmed, nodding her head. "Her kids are cute."

"Yeah, she showed me pictures," Spencer said with a smile, which Hanna politely returned. An awkward silence followed, and Hanna was about to fill it by reaching into her purse to get another cigarette, but Spencer grabbed her arm before she could.

"Spencer, let go," Hanna said forcefully, but Spencer wasn't budging.

"I'll let go once you tell me what's going on with you."

"Nothing's going on with me!" Hanna exclaimed as she pulled her arm from Spencer's grip. "What? Just because I'm not the bubbly Hanna Marin you knew from high school, that automatically means something's up? People _change_, Spencer."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with change," Spencer said gently. "In fact, it seems like _you're_ the one who's not comfortable with the change."

Hanna widened her eyes. "_Excuse_ me?"

"Hanna, why are you so hesitant to talk to us?" Spencer asked, startling Hanna. Was it really that obvious?

Apparently it was, because Spencer kept going. "The rest of us are doing fine. Aria and I even got together last night for dinner!"

"Well, goodie for you," Hanna said with mock congratulations. "I'm so happy to hear that Team Sparia has reunited at last."

Spencer brushed the old nickname off, even though it didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that she loved it, even to this day. "You could be reunited with us, too, if you tried."

"No offense to you guys, but I'm not looking for some sappy homecoming," Hanna said blatantly. "I'm just here to make sure Mona stays in jail."

"And suddenly your old friends mean nothing to you?!"

"You guys used to mean the world to me," Hanna said defensively, letting a bit of hurt leak through her words. She still remembered all those years ago, some time after she and Caleb had gotten out of college. She would stare at her phone, waiting for one of her friends to call, to claim that they missed her, that moving on was impossible, but she never got a phone call from one of them. She and Aria used to live near each other in the city, and they'd even go out to dinner once in a while when Audrey was just a baby, but conversation even then was tight. Suddenly, they had nothing to talk about, nothing in common anymore, and once Hanna moved to Chicago with Caleb and Audrey, that was that. They'd never spoken again.

Those days were horrible for Hanna, and moving on from them was tasking, but she finally did, and was finally able to convince herself that she was _happy_ without her friends. But if she got back together with them on this trip, it'd be near impossible to go back to being happy after she'd seen them again.

Surviving without them the first time was hard enough. Surviving without them the second time would be even worse.

"Are you saying we don't anymore?" Spencer said quietly, her low tenor voice barely above a whisper. Hanna sighed as she pressed her heeled foot against the wall behind her.

"I want you guys to mean something to me," she confessed. "But... I'm afraid to."

"What could you possibly be afraid of?" Spencer asked tenderly. "We're your friends."

"You _were_ my friends," Hanna corrected.

"If you're afraid of being friends again, we don't have to be," Spencer offered up. "But we can still be there for each other through this entire thing. We _need_ each other now, going through this alone is way too hard. After that, if you don't want to speak again, that's fine with me!"

"But it _shouldn't_ be!" Hanna said frustratedly. "That's not what I want!"

"Then what _do_ you want, Hanna?"

Hanna froze, caught. She didn't know what to say. She didn't want Spencer to know what she was thinking. There was no way Spencer could have missed her the way Hanna missed Spencer, and if Hanna told her what was on her mind, she'd think she was pathetic.

"You wouldn't understand," she muttered as she flicked her cigarette onto the ground and walked past her and over to the door. She had her hand on the knob, but Spencer's words stopped her.

"Emily told me about Audrey," she blurted out, halting Hanna in her tracks.

Eventually, Hanna let go of the handle and turned around. "What'd she say?"

Spencer shrugged. "Not much," she said, but when she looked at Hanna with her deep auburn eyes, Hanna could tell that was a lie.

"She said she's wonderful," Spencer said genuinely. "And she looks just like you."

Hanna looked down, feeling herself blushing. "Yeah, well, she gets her personality from Caleb."

Hanna then felt a cool hand on her arm, but the touch was gentler than before. When she looked up, Spencer was hovering over her again.

"If this is about protecting her, I _do_ understand," she said empathetically. "I have two kids of my own, you know, so I know that letting them into a past that you're trying to forget is _hard_."

"It's more than that," Hanna said shortly, her words cutting through the air like thumbtacks popping balloons. But before Spencer could say anything else, Hanna opened the door and walked through it, not bothering to hold it for Spencer.

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><p><strong>I mean... c'mon. How can you have a Spanna chapter and not have Spencer correcting Hanna at SOME point? Anyway, looks like Hanna's not budging, no matter how much she misses her old friends. When will these poor lambs realize that each of them missed the others so much but is just too afraid to say it? Next chapter will be uploaded on Sunday, guys, unless you can get me to 160 reviews before then ;) and you don't want to miss this next one, because it's a big chapter where something HUGE happens, so I'd get cracking if I were you! Thanks again, love you all XD<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Again, I truly cannot even begin to express my love for all of you. You guys got me over 160 reviews, which is AMAZING, and I am forever grateful - even for chiruri chikorate, who is forever unsatisfied and lives off of insulting my work (whoever went onto their stories and sent them horrible and threatening guest reviews because of what they keep saying to me... rather unnecessary, but you were very sweet to do that for me. Still, let's try to be at least cordial to one another, guys!). Shout out to the fabulous guest reviewer who reviewed every single chapter, AND shoutout to missdallywinston whose review made me smile more than I have in a long ass time.**

**Also, just to clear things up: Hanna isn't hiding some huge secret. She's just afraid of bonding with the girls because she knows they've all changed, and she's afraid of getting her heart broken again once they all leave to go home. But of course that doesn't mean OTHER characters aren't hiding things, because then we wouldn't have a story, would we? ;)**

**Now for your chapter. Like I said, something HUGE happens this chapter that is a huge game changer for the trial, and after this happens, you're both going to want to throw something at Mona Vanderwaal while also bow down to her in unworthiness. Enjoy!**

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><p>Once the five minute break had ended, Emily sauntered back into the courtroom with a heaving sigh. She had engaged in a nice conversation with Spencer and Aria, and now she had to dive right back into a case that Mona Vanderwaal was <em>somehow<em> winning. God, Rosewood's judicial system _sucked_.

She had her hand interlocked in Paige's as she ran her other hand along the rows of pews, bumping her fingers on the backs of them as she kept walking along. It was doing a good job of calming her nerves, yet there was a nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her that she had to land on an even number by the time she got to the end for good luck. _Even. Odd. Even. Odd. Even..._

"Would you stop that?" Paige said, tugging on Emily's hand and pulling her away from the pews before she could finish.

"Stop what?"

"I know what you're doing," Paige said knowingly, giving Emily a look that told her she wasn't stupid. "You're tapping the pews for good luck."

Emily played with the cuffs on the sleeves of her blouse, avoiding Paige's eyes. "It's comforting," she said uneasily, but Paige took her finger to Emily's chin, tilting her head upward so that she was looking into Paige's kind brown eyes.

"Things are shaky now, I admit," Paige said earnestly. "But you guys will win. There's too much evidence against her!"

"The fact that the evidence is from ten years ago isn't helping us," Emily said gloomily as she folded her arms across her chest. "Mona always finds a way to counter it, and there's no way to prove her wrong because it was from so _long_ ago!"

Paige sighed, and Emily could see in her face that this was just as hard on her. Why did she have to drag her into all of this?

"Whatever happens, things can still turn out okay," Paige reassured, tucking a strand of hair behind Emily's ear. "If she is released, I'll make sure she doesn't touch you _or_ the twins."

Emily could feel herself glowing as she grinned from ear to ear. "And I'll make sure it's the same for you."

Paige smiled as she leaned in to kiss Emily, but to her surprise, and to Emily's, their lips didn't connect.

Paige shot her eyes open, hurt clear in them, as Emily gawked up at her, unsure of what to say.

Did she just... pull back from a kiss?

"What was that about?" Paige asked softly, and Emily sighed as she pulled Paige to the side.

"I'm just not sure public displays of affection are appropriate right now," she admitted woefully. "Especially since we're... you know..."

Paige's features hardened. "Are you saying you're afraid to kiss me because of some uber conservative jerks in the jury?"

"... Yes?" Emily answered uneasily, not sure whether this was the right answer or not, but when Paige backed up slowly, still looking at Emily with that same hurt from before, and then turned on her heel with a scoff as she went to sit down, Emily confirmed that this was indeed the wrong answer. But she had to win this case, and if something as small as a peck on the lips made the difference in the final verdict, she would never forgive herself.

She was about to go over and apologize, but before she could, a tiny hand tapped on her shoulder, and when she looked over, Aria was staring up at her.

"It's time to take our seats," she said, ushering Emily over to the front row, and Emily sighed impatiently as she followed Aria over to their seats.

Judge Forton sat down, yawning loudly as his wrinkles across his forehead creased and his brunette mustache twitched. As soon as the jury, was settled, the judge turned to Melissa. "Is the defense ready with its first witness?"

Melissa rapidly nodded her head. "Yes, your honor. I call Jason DiLaurentis to the stand."

Emily felt her breath catch in her throat as she turned to Spencer, who was growing paler by the minute. What was Jason doing defending _Mona?_

Within the next few seconds, a dirty blonde male with definite stubble and brooding green eyes came up to the stand. He had gotten a new haircut in the last ten years, and when paired with the patches of hair on his face, he looked attractive enough for even Emily to notice.

"Please stand right here," the clerk said to Jason, who obeyed, planting his feet in front of the mousy man. "Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case now before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do," Jason said, and the clerk let him take his seat at the stand. Emily watched him carefully, trying to keep her eyes on him and not get distracted by the reporters hastily scribbling down Jason's information.

Melissa walked forward to the stand, placing her hands delicately at her sides, but Emily knew her well enough to recognize this as her pouncing stance.

"Mr. DiLaurentis," Melissa began, "according to my client, you were a source of guidance for her when she was released from Radley. Is this true?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jason said formally, sitting upright in his chair as he fiddled with his tie. "I could relate to her on a personal level, since the kids at school were giving her a rough time in the same way they used to give her a rough time, so I talked to her."

"How touching," Melissa said curtly, careful not to show emotion. "But you believed her to be innocent, correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"And do you still hold that opinion true today?"

Jason bit his lip apprehensively, and Emily leaned forward, slouching as she placed her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands. Eventually, Jason nodded his head. "Yes, I do."

Emily felt her blood start to boil. She actually thought Jason might have been on their side, after all he had done to help them solve Alison's murder, and now he was _defending_ his sister's killer? _Their_ near killer?

"Labor Day weekend, 2009," Melissa spoke, the date flowing off of her tongue like a song. "What can you tell us about that weekend?"

Jason gulped loudly. "That would be the weekend that my sister was killed."

There was a murmur among the jury, and Emily rubbed her temples, feeling ill all of a sudden. She could still remember the day like it was yesterday.

"I bet you remember that day like it was yesterday, don't you?" Melissa said, voicing Emily's current thoughts as she spoke to Jason.

"It's a little blurry in my mind, but yes," he confirmed.

"And are you aware that my client, Mona Vanderwaal, was charged with the crime of killing Alison DiLaurentis, your sister, in addition to torturing and stalking these four girls?"

"I am aware," Jason said, nodding his head.

"And you are confirming that you believe her to be innocent of the charge against the girls?"

"I don't know what went on between them," Jason went on, "but I do know that Mona had some beef with these girls for the way they treated her, and I know these girls aren't exactly saints, either, for more reasons than one. I'd say that anything Mona did to them would almost be justified, considering she is the one who had to suffer nearly a year in a mental institution, and then ten years in jail."

"But that's not what I'm asking you," Melissa stopped him. "I asked you if you think she was innocent."

"And I told _you_ that I don't know what went on," Jason shot back. "But whatever she did was probably justified."

"_What_ was justified?"

"Her torturing them!" Jason blurted out, and the jury gasped. Emily felt as though a volt of electricity had just been shot up her spine, and she looked to the other girls, who seemed to have reacted the same. So he admitted that he knew about Mona torturing them, yet he thought her actions were _justified._ Was Jason on their side... or not?

"Let's move on to a different question," Melissa said, growing frustrated as a visible vein in her neck started popping out. It looked like even _she_ didn't know whose side Jason was on, either. "You admitted that these girls aren't exactly saints. Care to elaborate?"

Emily held her breath. Jason was a member of the NAT club, so he knew about _everything_ they had done. He knew about Aria and Ezra's affair from high school, he knew about how the girls had blinded Jenna, he knew _everything._

But to Emily's surprise, Jason's features hardened as he narrowed his green eyes at Melissa. "I'd rather not," he answered slowly, and Emily let out a sigh of relief that she hoped wasn't noticeable. But she could feel her skin tighten once again when she realized this didn't mean Jason was on their side... it merely meant that if he admitted to what the girls had done, he'd have to admit to how he _knew_ all of this, which would mean giving up his secrets about the NAT Club and all of their surveillance used. _Illegal_ surveillance.

Melissa must've figured this out, too, and considering she was a member of the club as well, she let it slide and moved on. "Alright," she said casually. "Then let's talk about night your sister died. Do you recall seeing Mona Vanderwaal the night of Alison DiLaurentis's death?"

Jason paused, before running a hand through his hair, taking a moment to think about this, until he finally spoke up. "No, I do not."

More whispers from the jury, and Emily could feel beads of sweat forming on parts of her body that sweat should _not_ be forming on.

"Who do you recall seeing that night?" Melissa prodded. "Everyone knows the story. Five girls having a sleepover the weekend before school started, eating popcorn, listening to music, reading magazines, having a grand old time. But when they woke up the next morning, five girls had turned into four."

Jason gripped the arms of his chair and hung his head, clearly not comfortable, but Melissa was relentless. "There were a lot of people that you saw that night, hanging around your house, but one sticks out to mind, doesn't it? _Doesn't it?_"

Jason kept hanging his head, but eventually he subtly nodded, confirming this. Emily watched him, unsure of where this was going. What did Jason know? Who did he see? Who could have killed Alison besides Mona? And why would it be such a gripping revelation? The only thing that could possibly be more shocking enough to be true would be if...

No.

"Tell them what you told me, Jason," Melissa said, almost menacingly. "Tell them who you saw that night. Armed with a shovel and everything. Tell them who _really_ killed your sister."

Emily suddenly felt like she could no longer be in the room. She wanted to get up, but for whatever reason she was glued to her seat. Her limbs were shaking, her head was pulsing, her heart was racing, because if Jason said what she thought he was about to say...

"Emily Fields. I saw Emily Fields that night."

Suddenly, every single eye was on Emily, and she couldn't take it. No. It wasn't her. She _couldn't_ have done that to Alison. So why was Jason saying she was?

The room was soon spinning, and she could hardly see. Her vision was blurring, and she felt as though her heart would give out.

"Em," she heard Spencer whisper nervously, but she didn't respond. She couldn't respond. Her tongue felt like jello.

"Your Honor," she distantly heard Melissa saying up front, "multiple sources will clarify that Emily Fields was in love with Alison DiLaurentis, and got angry when those feelings weren't reciprocated. You'll also note that Exhibit D, as presented by the prosecution, was the shovel that killed Alison DiLaurentis. If you were to examine it again, I'm sure you'd find fingerprints belonging to Miss Fields on there."

"Are you suggesting that a member of the prosecution is guilty without any legitimate proof?" Mrs. Hastings shouted. "I object, your Honor, she cannot do that!"

But Emily didn't stay to listen in on the rest of the argument. She felt like she was going to be sick. Without any further thought, she rose from her seat and walked toward the doors in the back. When she heard several footsteps behind her, she walked even faster. She didn't want anyone following her. Not after what they thought she had done.

She pushed through the double doors with a vast amount of strength, charging through them at the speed of a race horse. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, in her throat, begging to be set free, but she couldn't let them free. Not here, not now, not...

"Emily!"

She felt someone grab her arm, and she yelped as they spun her around. When she saw Paige, she tried to release her grip, as she did not want the comfort of her wife right now. Paige was putting up a fight, but so was Emily. There wasn't a determined winner until three other figures came into view, and helped Paige pull Emily forward.

When she looked around her, gazing into the eyes of Hanna, Spencer, and Aria, Emily lost it. She broke down into tears as Paige caught her, rubbing circles along her back as she tried to calm her down. "It's okay, Em."

"No it's not," she sobbed. "They... they think I'm a _murderer!"_

"No they don't," Aria reassured, rubbing her arms soothingly. "They couldn't! It was just an accusation, they don't have any proof yet."

"But they're probably going to get some," Emily said morbidly as she sniffled into Paige's shoulder. "So this is how it ends? Mona gets to go off scott free while I take her place in the slammer?"

"No one said any of that was happening," Spencer said tenderly as she wiped a tear off of Emily's cheek. "Relax, okay?"

"It's going to be okay, Em," Hanna said gently as she squeezed Emily's hand, and Emily was shocked. Just yesterday, Hanna barely wanted to acknowledge her presence, and now she was at her side in an instant? In fact, _all_ of the girls had come together to be here for her, something that hadn't happened for much too long.

But Emily couldn't even properly enjoy their reunion because she was too busy crying, nearly soaking Paige's cardigan in the process. She immediately felt several pairs of arms on top of her as they embraced her in a group hug, and she felt the muffled whispers of soothing words reach her ear drums.

She was happy to have the comfort of her friends back, but would it be enough?

Moments later, the doors opened, and a crowd of people came through. Emily separated herself from Paige to get a better look, and among the crowd she spotted Ezra with his suit jacket swung over his shoulder, revealing a pale green button down.

"Well, looks like it's time to go home," he said forlornly, and Emily and the other girls straightened into attention.

"What do you mean?" Aria asked, coming forward. "The trial can't possibly be over!"

"It's not," Ezra said with a sigh. "But the first day is over. We'll be back tomorrow."

"_What?_" each of the girls exclaimed, and Emily felt Paige's arm protectively wrap around her shoulder in an instant.

Ezra let his shoulders slump as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his car keys. "It looks like this is going to last longer than we had hoped," he said tiredly, before looking to Aria. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure," Aria said quietly, and Emily watched as Aria sorted through her thoughts. Emily was having some trouble sorting through her own as well. Was it because of her accusation that they'd be back tomorrow? Was that what was prolonging the trial?

"Emily, this isn't your fault," Spencer said, as though she could read Emily's mind. "It's Mona's. This is just going to be a bit trickier than we originally thought."

"Yeah, you're telling me," Emily said bitterly as she dried her eyes with the back of her hand.

Spencer smiled sadly as she squeezed Emily's shoulder with her elongated fingers. "I'll talk to my mom tonight, and she'll figure something out, okay?"

"Okay," Emily said with a shaky head nod, but before the conversation could go any further, Toby walked up.

"We need to pick up Elijah and Aiden from Mrs. Montgomery's house," he said. "You ready to go?"

"Oh, that's right," Spencer said spacily. "Is that okay, Aria?"

"Yeah, of course," Aria said breezily - or what was an _attempt_ at being breezy, given none of them could carry on a normal conversation given everything that was going on. Aria then reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. "I'll give my mom a call and tell her we're on our way."

"Sounds perfect," Toby said as he whisked Spencer away. Before Ezra could do the same, Aria walked up to Emily, stood on her toes, and wrapped her little arms around Emily's neck, embracing her warmly. Emily hugged back, appreciating the company.

Aria then pulled back and smiled up at Emily, giving her arms a reassuring squeeze. "Feel better, okay?" she said. "And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Aria," Emily said gratefully, amazed that someone so small could be so nurturing. Come to think of it, that was one of Emily's favorite things about Aria, but she had forgotten all about it over the years.

It wasn't even that she'd forgotten it, though. She'd put it in the back of her mind, just like she had for all of the girls and all of her favorite traits about them. She had neglected to recognize Spencer's protective instincts, or Hanna's compassion, and she wished she'd told them how much she appreciated it when she'd had the chance.

When Aria walked away, all that was left was Hanna, Paige, and Emily. But Caleb was waiting over by the door, so once Hanna gave him the signal that she was coming, she turned back around to Emily.

"I should get going, too," she said, albeit shyly. "But... you know... what they said."

Emily nodded her head in thanks, and Hanna gave her a quick hug before she went over to Caleb. Emily sighed. No matter which parts of the girls were resurfacing, negative or positive, she supposed that they wanted to take this in baby steps, and she'd have to respect that decision ultimately.

"I guess we should get going, too," Paige said defeatedly. "Do you want me to drive?"

"I can manage," Emily said tightly as she walked over to the door, remembering how not too long ago, Paige was glaring at her for suggesting they tone down the PDA. The fact that Paige was by her side, no matter what happened, reminded Emily of how truly blessed she was to have someone so amazing to spend the rest of her life with.

That was, whom she _would_ be spending the rest of her life with her if she didn't have to spend it behind bars.

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><p><strong>That's right. Emily Fields, biggest Huffledor (HufflepuffGryffindor) of them all, is accused of murder. Of course, it sounds ridiculous to US, but not to the jury. Team Mona has somehow managed to take evidence presented by the prosecution, and use it to completely FLIP the trial around in their favor. Mona is filled with tricks to keep the focus off of herself, but will it be enough to get her out of prison? Sound off in the reviews! And after you leave me a (hopefully) lovely review, be sure to check out my Sparia one-shot Sound of Silence. And with that, I'll see you all next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, it's Friday, which means I am terrible at updating... but it's still time for this week's edition of #RunawayRecaps!**

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

**This episode is so many feelings. I wasn't expecting it to be that good, but the amount of feels present is something I am still unable to get over. I was having Aria/Ella feels (welcome back, Holly Marie Combs, you are perfect. Now, can you and Lucy Hale play mother and daughter for the rest of your lives because you both kill it every scene that you're together), then TRANNA feels (I am gonna GET IT from Bagilia, but I can't help it, they're SO sweet! And besides, once Caleb comes back I'm just gonna forget about Travis because CALEB, so might as well milk what I've got), then Paily feels (Emily, ya done goofed. Paige is too good for you anyway, have fun chasing after your manipulative emotional abuser that came back to life just to manipulate and emotionally abuse you some more #sorrynotsorry), and then... Spencer. In a wedding dress. Running through the woods. Out of all the Spencer Hastings things to do on this show, THAT my dears, is the most Spencer Hastings thing you can ever do. That one might go above interrogating a talking parrot for clues. Not too sure it goes over that one time she basically sauntered her drugged up ass over to Hanna, grabbed her by the shoulders and screamed in her face whilst shaking the everliving daylights out of her, "DON'T YOU SEE IT'S THE PIE AND THE BEER AT THE BAR WITH THE FACE MEANING EZRA IS A!"... but I'll let you know. Also, it kinda sucks that her therapy coach has to leave JUST as I was warming up to his perfect face, but I (kinda) got over that quickly once she started RUNNING THROUGH THE WOODS BEFORE SHE COULD EVEN MARRY THE OTHER THREE GIRLS IN HER BACKYARD!**

**And now a proposition... if you guys review with a top 10 list of the Spencer Hastings-est things Spencer Hastings has ever done, I will think up of a prize for the winner/participants. And... GO!**

**That about concludes this week's #RunawayRecap, so stay tuned for next week's FINAL edition after I'm reeling over the glory that WILL BE the spring finale.**

***END SPOILERS***

**Since I'm out of things to say now, I'll move onto the chapter. It's pretty heavy on the feels, so I'd make sure there is a tissue box in sight before you get into it. But other than that, enjoy!**

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><p>Hanna walked barefoot into the kitchen, with a towel wrapped around her head and a bathrobe draped around her body. It was getting late, and eventually she'd need to tuck Audrey into bed, which she knew was going to prove hard once Audrey started asking questions about the day.<p>

When she came into the kitchen, Caleb looked up from the kitchen table. He was on his laptop, and Audrey was sitting next to him eating a bowl of ice cream. Hanna smiled as she walked over to the table, pecking Caleb on the lips as she sat down next to him.

Audrey wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Gross," she muttered under her breath as she dug her spoon further into her ice cream while Caleb and Hanna just laughed. Then, Hanna turned to Caleb, looking over his shoulder at his laptop.

"Whatcha doin'?"

He smiled as he took the black pen he was writing with, on a small notebook next to his trappad, and put it between his teeth. "Just a sketch of the wiring on the inside of a computer."

"A sketch?" Hanna said through a loud snort. "It's that easy?"

Caleb shrugged his shoulders as he took his pen out of his mouth to jot down some more notes. "Not really," he admitted. "I have all of my notes with me, but I'm trying to improve the model of a specific engine that can be used to power a computer to improve the speed of it. It's a little more difficult to do that when I'm not at the firm."

Hanna felt her heart rate slow down dramatically at Caleb's words. She was holding him back from his job. _She_ was the one making this harder for him.

She swallowed back a huge lump in her throat as she turned to Audrey. "All finished, babe?"

Audrey nodded eagerly, her long blonde hair nearly flying into her empty bowl as she did so. "Yep! Can I go watch TV in grandma's room, now?"

Hanna looked up at the clock on the oven. It read 7:45. "For maybe another half hour, but make sure you brush your teeth and get ready for bed first. Okay?"

Audrey ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs, and once she was gone, Hanna turned back to Caleb, who was staring intensely at his computer screen. "You know, if this is too much for you, you can always go back."

Caleb jolted his head up like this was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. "Why would I want to do that?"

"You said so yourself!" Hanna pointed out. "It's too difficult for you to be telecommunicating!"

"First of all, you mean _telecommuting,_" Caleb corrected as he took Audrey's bowl from the table and brought it to the sink. "And second of all, I only said it was a little inconvenient. But I'm managing! It's not like I'm trudging through a sea of tar to try to get a report in! It's not anything strenuous."

"But it's easier when you're at the firm," Hanna argued. "You don't have to send in reports by email, you don't have to miss any important meetings - "

"Hanna, I'm not even ranked that high at the firm," Caleb said as he walked back over to the table. "It's not that big of a deal if I miss anything."

"But you're not going to move up any further if you keep missing work!" Hanna shot back, getting more and more frustrated.

Caleb sat down, studying her carefully. "I don't understand what the big deal is," he said carefully. "You're going to be missing work, too."

"But I'm obligated to stay here," Hanna said. "You're allowed to go back!"

"Hanna - "

"Just take Audrey with you on the next flight back to Chicago," Hanna said tiredly. "It'll be easier for both of us."

"I'm not _leaving_ you," Caleb said stubbornly as he closed his laptop. "If this trial is going to last longer than we thought, then I want to be by your side every second of it."

Suddenly, this was becoming too much for Hanna. "I don't want you by my side, though!" Hanna exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the table and feeling the exasperation raise to a boil inside of her. "I've held you back for way too much of your life, just do what's best for you and Audrey and go home!"

Silence. There was only silence that followed. Caleb stared at her blankly, tilting his head to the side as he appraised her, but he didn't say anything. Feeling cornered under his meditating gaze, Hanna stood up from her chair, removing the towel from her head as she walked up to the kitchen counter. From behind, she heard the squeak of a chair moving back as Caleb stood up.

"What are you talking about?" he said softly, and Hanna just sighed as she played with one of the soaking wet hairs that was resting on her shoulders.

"Being back here," she choked out, the words begging not to leave her mouth as she said them. "It brings back old memories. Some of them are good, some of them..."

"Are bad," Caleb finished as he came up behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, but she resisted, surprising both him _and_ herself. She walked over to the fridge and opened it, retrieving a glass of water.

"Hanna, I understand that this is bringing back bad memories for you," Caleb said understandingly as she retrieved the pitcher from the fridge. "But that gives me all the more reason to stay!"

Hanna averted her eyes downward as she got a glass from the cupboard and brought it to the counter, placing it down with a _thud_. "I thought about when you and I first met."

The temperature in the room went down several degrees, and Hanna didn't need to look up to picture the look of hurt on Caleb's face. "That was a bad memory for you?" he said brokenly.

"No!" Hanna shot her head up to deny this. "Not at all! Why would we be married if I thought about it in a bad way?"

Caleb just looked more and more perplexed as he wrinkled his brow. "Then... why - "

"I thought about all the times you stood by me when Mona was... being Mona," she said abruptly. "You vowed to protect me every second, and for nothing in return. Just the way you are right now."

She then looked down as she filled her glass with water. "Caleb, you're just such a great guy," she continued. "You're smart and sweet and... I just feel like I'm not good enough for you."

"What?" he said incredulously as he came around the counter. He took the pitcher from her hands and tilted her chin upward. "What brought this on?"

Hanna bit her lip. "Being here," she said solemnly. "Dragging you and Audrey into all of this. It's not fair that you both have so much going for you... and I'm just stripping it all from you."

Caleb looked at Hanna as if she had just told her a martian had landed in their kitchen. "Hanna Rivers, you know that is not true," he said sternly. "You are the most wonderful girl I have ever met, and marrying you is anything _but_ an inconvenience. It's the best decision I could've ever made."

Hanna looked down, unconvinced. "Audrey deserves two good parents, and all she got was one."

"You're a great mother!"

"What mother would bring her daughter to _Rosewood_?" Hanna snapped, looking back up at him.

"That wasn't your choice," Caleb argued. "You had to!"

"No I didn't," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't need to bring her down here, and I didn't need to bring you."

"That wasn't your decision," he said quietly, as if speaking softly would be an easier way to get through to Hanna. "I _chose_ to come!"

"Well you shouldn't have!" Hanna was shouting now as she let go of Caleb. "You should have stayed back there with her, you should have just let me handle this myself! I'm a grown woman, I can take care of it!"

"If you're a grown woman, act like one and stop _doubting_ yourself!" Caleb shot back, and Hanna winced. In her mind, it was only okay when _she_ raised her voice.

Caleb then softened, and she imagined it was as a reaction to the look on her face. "I know you can take care of yourself," he said earnestly, stiff as a board as he stared up at her, being careful not to move, as though she was the most easily breakable porcelain doll in the shop. "But I still want to be there for you."

"Because I'm too stupid to be left alone, right?" she offered up. "That's what this is about?"

Caleb looked taken aback by this, but Hanna couldn't understand why when it was so obvious. "I'm pretty sure that's _not_ what I said."

"But it's what you meant." She was speaking more calmly now, but on the inside she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"It wasn't at all," Caleb said honestly as he took a chance and stepped forward. He then took Hanna's hands in his as he looked down at her with his caring brown eyes. "I know this trial is hard on you, especially since it's being extended, but I won't allow it to cause you to think poorly about yourself. Got it?"

Hanna nodded her head, and suddenly the tears that had been threatening to fall for the past few days started to escape her eyes. Caleb reached over and wiped one from her cheek with his thumb, and then he raised his other hand to caress her face.

"I love you, Hanna," he said compassionately. "Audrey, your mother, and I love you so very much, and so do the girls, whether you want to admit it or not. We're not going to let anything happen to you, and we're not going to let you keep feeling this way. This whole thing will be over before you know it, okay?"

Hanna wobbled her head up and down with difficulty. "Okay," she stuttered out as she let Caleb kiss her on the lips passionately, before breaking apart several moments later to leave a trail of kisses up her cheek all the way into her drenched hair while engulfing her in a hug. As she dug her head further into his thin shirt, which smelled uncannily like cinnamon, and let him rub circles along her back, she felt at peace.

Oh, who was she kidding. There was no _way_ she could get through this without Caleb.

"Hanna?" she heard a voice call, and she disentangled herself from Caleb's arms as her mother walked into the kitchen.

"Audrey's upstairs waiting to be tucked into bed," Ashley said, looking between Hanna and Caleb. "Which one of you wants to do it?"

"I'll do it," Caleb said, taking his hand off of Hanna's shoulder as he started toward the stairs. Hanna followed his figure as he started his ascent.

"Kiss her goodnight for me, okay?" she called, and Caleb nodded his head on the staircase.

Once Caleb was gone, Hanna turned back to her mother, who was staring at her warily. "Honey, have you been crying?"

Hanna hastily wiped her eyes, which she guessed were now red. "No," she lied as she reached over the counter and grabbed her towel. "I just got some shampoo in my eyes."

Ashley nodded her head in understanding as Hanna took the towel to her hair, blotting it some more. "Well, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hanna said with a shrug as she slung the towel on her arm. "The sting should go away soon, anyway."

She started making her way out of the kitchen to change into her pajamas, but Ashley stopped her again by calling her name, causing Hanna to whip around in response.

"You know that's not what I meant," she said carefully. "After what happened today... Emily being accused, the trial being extended... are you okay?"

Hanna paused as she thought about all of this. It made her mad, certainly, but she had to keep in mind that they would win in the end. They had to, there was no other way. Emily being accused had to be just a distraction, a bump in the road... right?

"I will be," Hanna finally said, before she walked out of the room.

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><p><strong>My haleb babies :( but did you hear? It's official, CALEB IS COMING BACK! I've missed that beautiful hobo, so this makes me insanely happy, you better believe.<strong>

**If you guys liked this chapter, let me know by reviewing/following/favoriting/WHATEVER you can think of! And I'll upload the next chapter once I get to 190 reviews, and let's just say it involves one of the more underexplored friendships on the show, so I think you'll like it. In other words: get cracking!**


	13. Chapter 13

**... You guys are about 2 reviews away from 190, but I needed to post this chapter solely because of the most emotional edition of #RunawayRecaps you have ever witnessed.**

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

**That, my friends, was BY FAR the most satisfying episode of PLL I've ever seen. I know some people are mad because we still don't know who A is OR who tried to kill Alison - and of course the one person who DOES know who tried to kill her is now 6 feet under (MAJOR IRONY) - but we still found out SO MUCH! A is for SOME Answers, sure, but I LOVED this episode, guys, I LOVED IT! For one, everyone in the cast did a phenomenal job, but this episode really really felt like it was an ode to Sasha Pieterse and how immensely and unbelievably talented she is. This is the first time she's been in for a full episode, and BOY did she kill it. She was able to play 18-year-old Alison, 14-year-old Alison, Alison manipulative, Alison vulnerable, Alison scared, Alison CRYING, and Alison alone. For the first time we really get to see what made Alison so horrible, and that was because of how truly, truly alone she felt. She couldn't trust ANYONE, and that's a scary thing. And all of these emotions, every single one of them, Sasha managed to absolutely nail.**

**For another... well, so many things. We finally know what happened that night, we got to see NOEL KAHN'S FACE (Brant Daugherty, you're hotter than ever. Congratulations), there was a legitimate Hastings family REUNION with the return of Melissa, MONA WAS CREEPIER AND MORE FABULOUS THAN EVER AND SHE WAS FABULOUS AND INSANE FROM THE BEGINNING APPARENTLY (Janel Parrish, you GOD), and THEN... that scene at the end. I am still undeniably angry at Ezra and everything he's done, but I was still crying when he got shot and Aria screams and catches him when he falls over. Part of me wants to see Ezra die, but another part of me knows the show wouldn't be the show without him, so... I don't know what to feel, but my heart was shattered needless to say. And then someone drags Mrs. D's body off, which makes me SO SAD because I was really really starting to legitimately worship her! She's so FABULOUSLY CREEPY! Ahem... _was_.**

**Who do you all think A is? And who tried to kill Ali? Could it be Jason, like all of twitter claims it is? Or someone else... I guess we'll find out in season 5, which is 3 months away, so until then that concludes this series of #RunawayRecaps for season 4B. Thanks for reading!**

***END SPOILERS***

**Quick shoutout to eveningshades1107, whose list of Spencer Hastings moments made me fall over off of my bed in laughter. That girl is a gem, guys. Go ahead and PM me on what your prize should be!**

**And now for your chapter. A lot of you guessed correctly in terms of what the underrated friendship was that will be used in this chapter, so I'll just leave you to it!**

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><p>"They're still arguing?" Aria asked as she made herself comfortable, resting her back against the window sill as she held the phone closer to her ear.<p>

"_Yes,_" Spencer groaned on the other side of the phone, and in the background Aria could hear muffled shouts, both male _and_ female. "_I'd join in, but I left to take care of the kids, so Toby's taking my place."_

"What does Elijah have to say about all of this?" Aria asked curiously as her eyes wandered over to her own child, whose giant hazel eyes were glued to the coloring book in front of him as he scribbled on the pages with a green crayon.

"_I took him and Aiden upstairs before it got too heated,_" Spencer explained, "_but he knows something's up. I just hope he never has to figure it out_."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Well, isn't he going to figure something out based on this conversation we're having?"

"_Relax,_" Spencer said breezily. "_He's brushing his teeth right now, I'm just putting Aiden to sleep._"

Aria pondered this as she brought her knees up to her chest. "Back to the argument. You said they're fighting, but that has to be good! It means your mom is on our side, right?"

"_If she is, she's being really good about not admitting it,_" Spencer said with annoyance. "_Anytime Melissa and I are yelling at each other, she either stands to the side ignoring us, or she yells at _me_ for being so loud._"

Aria furrowed her brow. "That's awful," she whispered. "They were going at it in court today. I'd think that - "

"_Anything that happens in court is just an act, Aria. My mom's obligated to help me, but I know she'd jump to Melissa's defense if she could. Even if she is on my side about this whole thing, she's never going to defend me while we're at home."_

Aria sighed. "I'm sorry, Spence."

Before Spencer could answer, there was a series of quieter sounds in the background, and Aria could faintly hear Spencer's raspy voice answering whoever was talking to her. Finally, she came back on the line. "_Hey, I have to go, but Elijah wanted me to say hi to his auntie Aria for him."_

Aria smiled as the image of Spencer and Toby's bright eyed little boy came to mind. "Tell him hello back."

"_Thanks for calling, by the way. With everything that's going on at home - "_

"Not a problem," Aria answered warmly as she glanced out the window, where rain was heavily slashing against the glass pane. "I just wanted to make sure you got home safely. This rain is falling down pretty hard."

"_We managed to get back before the worst of it, thankfully_," Spencer said. "_Aiden _hates_ the rain!"_

"Yeah, so does Tom," Aria giggled as she averted her gaze back to her little boy, who had looked up from his book at the sound of his name, crayon still perched above the picture. "But I won't keep you any longer. We'll talk more in the morning, okay?"

Once Spencer and Aria had finished saying goodbye, a clap of thunder was heard outside. Before Aria could react, Tom had leaped up from his place on the ground, his face in a long pout at the startling noises as the crayon and book fell from his fingers. With her maternal instincts kicking in, Aria immediately stood up from her position on the window sill, but Ezra was one step ahead of her, coming in from the kitchen.

"I'll get him ready for bed," he offered up, and Aria let out a sigh of relief.

"Could you?" she said thankfully. "That'd be a huge help."

Ezra held up a hand, signifying that this was no trouble at all. "After all you've been through today, it's the least I can do."

He gave her a quick peck on the lips before taking his son's hand and leading him into the guest bedroom, while Aria picked up Tom's coloring book and crayons, placed them both neatly on the coffee table in front of the couch, and then walked into the kitchen, deciding it'd be a good idea to make herself useful and help her mother clear the dishes.

Ella looked up from scrubbing a plate with leftover veal parmesan crumbs on it. She smiled as Aria came over, drying a fork. "So, Ezra let a few details about the trial slip."

Aria groaned as she slammed the fork down on the counter. "Like what?"

Ella shrugged as she cocked her head to the side. "Just that Emily was accused of murder."

Aria crossed her arms across her pajama t-shirt - a graphic tee from a Broadway play Ezra had taken her to - as she tried to quell the goosebumps raising on her skin at the thought of Emily being accused. "Yeah, that happened."

Ella's eyes widened. "What are you girls getting yourselves into?"

"You're saying that like we can control it, mom!" Aria hissed, being mindful of the boys on the other side of the wall. "I don't like being a part of this trial just as much as you don't, but it's the only way Mona can stay in jail."

"But how much longer do you think it will last?" Ella asked worriedly. "The thought of you girls being so near her gives me anxiety."

Aria huffed as she rested a hand on Ella's shoulder. "I think that anxiety is from having to chase two and a half kids around this hole-in-the-wall apartment all day," she said sardonically before removing her hand to take another plate out of the sink and start drying it as well.

"That is not true," Ella argued as Aria started loading the silverware and dishes into the dishwasher. "I used to have to take care of two kids and your _father_ back when we first moved to Rosewood."

Aria laughed as she stood up from loading the dishes. "C'mon, that's an exaggeration. Mike and I were probably way harder to handle than dad."

Ella leaned against the counter as she pondered this. "Well, Mike wasn't easy," she admitted. "He used to crawl over all of the new furniture the minute he discovered he had legs. But you were a surprisingly quiet baby."

Aria stood back in surprise. "Seriously?"

Ella then walked up closer to Aria, nodding her head. "You were curious, but subtly so. You were always bright eyed and bushy tailed when your father or I would play with you, but you didn't cry that much. You were too busy gazing around the room with your giant eyes, observing anything you could, even if you couldn't properly understand it all."

Aria found the corners of her lips rising into a smile. "I never knew that."

Ella then reached into the cabinet above her for a box of Cascade as she got ready to run the dishwasher. "You were very sweet," she said genuinely as she opened the box. "Looking at Tom now reminds me of when you were a baby."

Aria giggled at this as Ella started pouring the Cascade into the washer. "He's growing so fast," she said sentimentally. "I don't know how I'll be able to deal when he's a teenager and all of the girls start flocking to him."

"If he's anything like his father, he'll probably be too busy with his nose in a book to notice any passing girls," Ella joked, causing Aria to nearly burst out laughing. Ella then closed the dishwasher, pressed a few buttons, and walked away as it started its cycle.

"My point is, I don't mind watching Tom, or Spencer's kids, in the least. But I do have a problem with you girls going to this trial."

"We all have the same problem with it," Aria said, nodding her head in agreement. "But we have to go if we want to end this thing once and for all."

Ella sighed as she reached her hand up to run it through the front of Aria's dark hair. "I know," she said defeatedly. "I just worry about you. Coming back has to be hard on you."

Before Aria could respond, there was a knock on the door, startling both Aria and her mother.

"Who could that be?" Ella asked, puzzled, as she set her hands by her sides. "I'm not expecting company, especially in this weather."

Aria shrugged as she went over to the door, but when she opened it, she gasped.

Standing before her, in nothing but a pair of leggings, sneakers, and a Champion brand, highlighter green fitted t-shirt from Target, was someone she would've never expected to see at this time of night.

"Emily!" she said in shock as she stared at the tan beauty, who was soaking wet from head to toe and whose face had streaks of water running down it that Aria guessed couldn't have been from the rain.

"C-can I come in?" Emily stuttered through her shivers, and Aria rapidly nodded her head as she ushered Emily into the apartment and Ella jumped into action.

"Emily!" she gasped. "What are you doing out in this weather? Aria, get her a blanket!"

As Aria quickly followed orders, going over to the couch and scrambling for the warmest blanket she could find, Emily told her story. "I couldn't stand to be at my own house, and I didn't want my kids to see me like this, so I went for a jog, but then it started raining, and I still didn't want to go home, and Aria told me if I needed anything..."

Emily kept rambling on, and by the time Aria had come over with a long, thick blanket, she was in full out hysterics, sobbing into her hands as she pulled the blanket tighter around her frame. Ella looked up at Aria in panic, but Aria claimed she would handle it as she sat down next to Emily at the table. Ella complied and left the kitchen, but not without putting a kettle of water on the stove and boiling it, and when she did leave, Aria presumed it was to get leaves to make tea. In the meantime, she turned her attention back to Emily.

"Emily, are you upset about what happened today at the trial?" Aria asked as she ran a hand down Emily's spine in a comforting gesture, and Emily weakly nodded her head through her hands as more tears leaked through her eyes.

"I can't go to jail, Aria," she cried. "I can't leave the twins, or Paige, or anyone!"

"You won't go to jail," Aria reassured, as she continued to rub Emily's back. "Mrs. Hastings will find a way to break you out of this, alright?"

At this, Emily lifted her head. "How can you be so sure about that?" she said in a voice that was now gravelly from crying. "We put our trust in her to defend us, and we're losing!"

"It's only the first day, though. I guess we should have expected that this thing would stretch on longer than we predicted," Aria added as she bit down on her lip.

Emily sniffled as she shook her head, sinking further into the wooden chair. "I hate having to do this," she said morosely. "Going into that courtroom once was bad enough. How many more times are we going to have to look at Mona's disgusting face?"

Aria flinched at these words since, for once, she was willing to admit that Mona's face was anything but disgusting, but also because she was always surprised when something so vulgar left Emily's mouth.

"Well, think of it this way," Aria said tenderly. "The longer we stay... the longer the four of us get to see each other."

Emily just scoffed as she took a napkin from the table and started drying her eyes. "Don't tell me that's what you want."

Aria sat back, startled. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm not stupid, Aria, I know what's going to happen. During this trial, we're going to get closer, but then we're just going to go back to not speaking. Right? And we can't even get through the _first_ step of that since Hanna basically wants nothing to do with us."

"Okay, but that's Hanna," Aria jumped in. "And we can respect her decision, but that doesn't mean we can't be there for each other during the trial."

"Right, because that's always the order of events," Emily said sarcastically as she placed her elbows on the table. "Neglect all contact for a decade, and then go back to snuggling like a basket of kittens."

Aria couldn't help but crack a small smile at this as she placed a hand on Emily's lean arm. "Who ever said we had to follow a specific order of events?" she pointed out. "Whatever happens, we still need each other to get through this. We just need to take it all in baby steps."

Emily considered this for a moment, until she finally nodded her head and sat up a little straighter. "How do you suggest we do that?"

Aria shrugged. "Well, we can start by catching up on what's been happening for the past ten years," she said dryly. "Like, you told me about the twins earlier during a break today."

Emily brightened up a bit, now. "Yeah, I did," she chirped. "They're turning four in a few months, and they're my pride and joy. When Paige and I found out that we were eligible to adopt, we were so excited."

Aria smiled, happy they were getting off to a good start. They conversed for a few more minutes while Ella got some tea to warm Emily up, until they were stopped by the sound of light footsteps pounding against the hardwood.

Tom ran into the room, now dressed in his pajamas, and jumped onto Aria's lap, catching her by surprise. It did get a giggle out of Emily, though, as she leaned forward on her chair. "Who's this?"

"I'm Tom!" Tom said proudly, flashing a bright smile of tiny white pearls. He then turned to Aria. "Mommy, I got ready for bed. Will you play a game with me, now?"

"Maybe later, Tom," she said as she ruffled his hair. "I'm visiting with a friend. This is your aunt Emily."

"It's nice to meet you Tom," Emily said amicably as she offered up a friendly smile. Tom smiled back, but his smile disappeared when he looked closer and noticed how drenched she was. "Why are you all wet?"

Emily nervously ran a hand through her sopping wet hair. "The storm just caught up to me, that's all. But your mother was very nice to take care of me."

"Don't forget about me!" Ella piped in as she brought a piping hot mug of tea over to Emily, sliding it in front of her, and Emily's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Montgomery!"

"Don't mention it sweetie," Ella said comfortingly as she patted Emily on the shoulder. "I remember when you used to come over to our house after a swim meet looking like that... in the winter!"

Emily and Aria giggled at this as Aria leaned back toward Tom. "Why don't you go pick out one of the games we brought with us?" she suggested. "I'll be with you soon, okay?"

Tom nodded his head eagerly, and Aria planted a kiss on his nose before sending him off. When she turned back to Emily, she had an eyebrow raised playfully.

"You named him after Tom Sawyer, didn't you?" she said quizzically, and Aria couldn't help the blush that started creeping to her cheeks as she nodded her head.

Emily laughed at this. "You guys are such dorks... but he's adorable, Aria," she added genuinely, and Aria found herself blushing even more as she muttered a quick thanks. She sometimes didn't know how to react when people complimented her son, but she supposed that was only because she often forgot that she wasn't the _only_ one allowed to love him.

A silence followed as Emily sipped her tea, and both girls were left not knowing what to do, but Aria was used to this by now. It had happened with all of the girls multiple times. They were trying to rekindle their friendship - well, most of them, anyway - but it didn't seem to be working. As much as Aria tried to fight it off, Emily was right. After this was all over, they probably _would_ end up not speaking again.

But that didn't mean they shouldn't enjoy each other's company while they still could.

When Emily had finished her tea, she stood up. "Well, I don't want to keep you any longer," she said. "I guess I should go home now."

Aria immediately stood up, too. "Do you need my to drive you?"

Emily looked out the window, squinting. "I think it's died down enough for me to walk," she said with a shrug as she removed the blanket from around her shoulders and carefully folded it before placing it down on the chair. "But thank you. And... this was nice."

Aria offered a warm smile as she came back around the table. "Remember what we talked about, too," she said carefully. "Things can still be okay. For you, for Paige, for all of us. So don't stress out about it, okay?"

Emily smiled and nodded her head. "Okay," she said as she leaned down to give Aria a hug, and with that she was out the door, with Aria standing in the exact same place as before, staring after her.

"Well, that was... unexpected," Ella said, breaking Aria out of her thoughts. "But I have to say, she hasn't changed a bit, and I'm happy about that."

Aria nodded her head in agreement as she sat down at the table, her mind still clouded by what had just happened. "Yeah, she's just as sweet as ever," she said emotionlessly, trying to gather her thoughts. It _seemed_ like she was rekindling her friendship with Emily and Spencer, and Hanna was a work in process, but how could she know for sure?

"Not to mention gorgeous," Ella added in from behind. "She's one of those people who just doesn't age. It's nice that you girls are getting along. God knows you'll need each other throughout all of this chaos."

Before Aria could respond that she didn't quite know the definition of "getting along" in this context, Tom called for her in the family room.

"Momma! Will you play checkers with me?"

Deciding to leave it alone for now, Aria finally stood up from the table, deciding she'd leave the pressing matters of the trial for tomorrow. "Sure. Who gets to be red?"

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><p><strong>Emaria is actually so sweet, guys, I'm glad the writers started incorporating more of them this season (even if it IS at the expense of SPARIA). Now, you guys are SO CLOSE to getting me to 200 reviews! Once you all get me up there, I'll post the next chapter! What do you think is going to happen during day 2 of the trial? Sound off in your lovely reviews!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**200 reviews baby! I literally cannot stress enough how incredible you all are for getting me to this point, and the REAL exciting stuff hasn't even happened yet! Thank you all so, so very much for your kind words and support toward this story, and shout out to eveningshades1107 for the second time in a row, only this time for being my 200th reviewer!**

**Unfortunately, I can't really chat. I am posting this chapter, and then I have to race out the door. I'm gonna be on the road for the while, so I probably won't be updating again this weekend. BUT if you guys could review a bunch as a nice welcome home for me when I get back, that'd be amazing! Enjoy your chapter :)**

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><p>Spencer folded her arms as she leaned against the rough surface of the wall in the lobby of the courtroom. It was the next day, and she was waiting less than patiently for the doors to open, along with everyone else, but inside they were dealing with different matters.<p>

Toby was getting a drink of water at the water fountain next to where Spencer was standing, but when he stood up, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand as he faced Spencer, his features hardened. "Stop it," he said sternly.

She looked up at him innocently. "Stop what?"

"I know that face," he said obviously, as though Spencer couldn't fool him.

"I don't know what face you're talking about."

"Yes you do," he accused. "That's your Spencer-face. You always make that face when you're thinking about something."

Spencer cocked an eyebrow upward playfully. "Are you saying you're giving into misogynistic attitudes by denying my right as a female to use my mind however I so choose?"

Toby sighed, and Spencer could immediately tell that he wasn't in the mood for her to be challenging him today, whereas he would usually play along for at least a little while. She cocked her head to the side as she inched in closer to Toby, wrapping her thin arms around his taut stomach. "Why the long face? I'm the one who should be unhappy right now."

Toby's shoulders slumped as he gave in and wrapped his arms around Spencer's waist as well. "I know that," he said admittedly, "and that's why this whole thing bothers me."

"Weren't you the one who said it'd end up being okay eventually?" Spencer pointed out, but Toby just shook his head.

"I guess I'd just forgotten what Mona was capable of," he said quietly, seemingly more to himself than Spencer, but he eventually snapped himself out of it as he cupped her face in his hand, having her look into his clear blue orbs. "But that won't stop us from winning this thing. This is just her way of stalling, okay?"

Spencer smiled into his hands as she took his wrists in her own palms, but all of a sudden Toby pulled away, tucking his hands into the pockets of his dark suit pants - different from the tan suit he had worn the previous day. When Spencer looked up to question him on it, she noticed the loving look in his eyes had transformed into one of coldness, one of darkness.

"Toby, what's wrong?" she started to ask, but he was so intensely focused on something behind Spencer that she had to turn around to see what it was.

Spencer gasped when she laid eyes on a tall, lanky man in his late thirties, dressed up in a royal blue button down and a pair of khakis. After ten years, he had aged only slightly, but with his kind brown eyes, bushy eyebrows, and charming smile, Spencer immediately recognized him as Wren Kingston, and apparently Toby had recognized him as well.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Toby growled, and Spencer immediately turned her attention to him to calm him down.

"I'm not sure," she said, a little suspicious. "I'll go ask him - "

"No!" Toby protested immediately. "I don't want you going near him."

"Why not?" Spencer asked, shocked. "You're not seriously _jealous_, are you?"

"Of course not!" Toby denied. "But he's bad news."

Spencer turned her head over to where Wren was, chatting up the clerk and the bailiff, leaning backward as he laughed at either his own joke or a joke one of the others had told. Spencer rolled her eyes as she turned around. "I seriously doubt he's bad news," she said mellowly. "He has me by, like, eleven pounds."

"He's your evil older sister's husband," Toby pointed out, making sure to emphasize the word _evil_. "That's not sounding off any alarms in your head?"

Before Spencer could so much as open her mouth to answer, the doors opened, and the bailiff was now ushering everyone into the courtroom. Spencer groaned as she turned back to Toby. "I guess we'll have to see, won't we?" she said conclusively as she stood on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips, then darted inside, her black cardigan billowing behind her as she raced to catch up with the other girls.

She didn't even bother looking at her mother as she sat down between Emily and Aria, the way she had yesterday. She, Melissa, and her mother had gotten into a massive argument last night, with Spencer claiming that Melissa was taking an unfair approach to the case with the claim that Emily had murdered Alison instead of Mona, but Melissa kept saying over and over again that it _Jason_ was the one that said this, even if Spencer refused to buy it, and Veronica had just stayed on the sidelines, only butting in when it seemed like Spencer was getting out of line.

That's right. When _Spencer_ was getting out of line. Shouldn't her mother be on Spencer's side? How come Melissa wasn't the one getting in trouble? Wasn't the _youngest_ child supposed to get all of the attention and love from their parents?

Spencer straightened out the pleats on her pencil skirt as she turned to Emily, whose eyes looked so tired they might as well have been carrying luggage to go on a month long trip to Europe. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

Emily sighed as she leaned back against the pew. "Hardly," she admitted as she rubbed her eyes, her gold bangles jingling against her arm as she did so. "It's not like sleep would've helped though. I would've _still_ walked in here like a zombie."

Spencer nodded her head. "Yeah, I can't say I'm really looking forward to this either," she confessed. "Especially now that we'll have to testify."

"_What?_" This came from Aria, whose hair was swept away from her face in a high, stylish knot, making the fear in her features more clear. "What do you mean we have to testify?"

Spencer sighed. Telling the girls this next part wasn't going to be easy. She leaned back against the wooden pew and folded her arms as Emily, Aria, and Hanna, who heard the commotion and decided to drop in as well, leaned in attentively. "Because Jason said what he said about Emily, that's bringing an entirely new suspect into the case," she said, the words tasting sour on her tongue; she never thought she'd hear herself saying the words _Emily_ and _suspect_ in the same sentence. "Melissa is totally going to use this against us."

"A suspect from the prosecution?" Emily whispered in fear. "They can't do that, can they?"

"There isn't a rule that says they can't," Spencer said, shaking her head. "So that means at least Hanna, Aria, and I will have to testify for you. My mom was telling me last night."

"Last night?!" Aria's eyes widened with rage. "And you didn't think to tell me while we were on the phone?!"

"She told me after Melissa left!" Spencer said helplessly. "It was late, we were off the phone by then."

Aria crossed her arms stubbornly. "You could've called me back," she muttered under her breath as Spencer sighed in frustration. Aria had a point, she _could_ have called her back, along with telling the other girls, but she didn't really think Aria _wanted_ her to call back. The last thing she needed this week was for the girls to think she was being overly clingy. They all had their own stuff going on, they didn't need a leech attaching itself to the hairs on their arms.

"Okay, so now what do we do?" Hanna spoke for the first time since the conversation started. "Don't we need to get our stories straight about what happened that night for when we testify for Emily?"

Emily's eyes widened next to Spencer. "Keep your voices down!" she hissed, but this just worked Hanna up.

"Why?" she said snarkily. "It's not like you have anything to hide. You didn't do it."

"Which is why we don't need to get our stories straight," Spencer answered. "We were having a sleepover, we all fell asleep, and when we woke up she was gone. That's all that happened. Right, Em?"

When she looked over, Emily had a look of doubt upon her face, one that she wasn't expecting to see. Before Spencer could make any kind of comment on it, her thoughts were interrupted by the banging of a gavel up front, and the case was brought to attention.

Everyone participated in the same rituals as the day before, with the same judge and the same jury, before sitting down as the judge took charge. "Today, the defense may call its first witness."

Melissa happily stood up from her desk as she walked up to the front. "Your honor, the defense calls Wren Kingston to the stand."

Spencer felt a jolt of electricity shoot up through her spine as she whipped around in her seat, and sure enough, Wren walked forward, a determined expression on his face. Spencer wanted to smack herself on the forehead. Of _course_ Melissa would call in her own husband to testify. Of _course._

Her eyes wandered over to Toby, who was giving her an _I told you so_ look, and she rolled her eyes and turned back around, watching as Wren sat comfortably in the chair at the stand after being sworn in.

Melissa pompously strutted up front, her heels menacingly clacking against the hardwood the same way they had yesterday. Spencer felt Emily tense up next to her, and when she turned to her, she looked like an arrow ready to be shot. Not used to being the calm one of the group - if she could call this calm - Spencer patted Emily on the knee, a gesture Emily seemed to be grateful for.

"Mister Kingston," Melissa said authoritatively up front. "You were working at Radley Sanitarium here in Rosewood when my client was staying there, correct?"

"That is true," Wren said in a charming British accent that wafted its way through the room. Spencer gulped quietly to herself as she put her hands in between her legs to try to stop them from trembling so much. Was it possible for a witness to charm their way into making an executive decision? Was _that_ where Melissa was going with this?

"You were supplying her with medication," Melissa went on. "Could you tell us what exactly she was taking?"

"Actually, I have a list right here," he said, rather too perkily, as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, which he handed to his wife. "You'll find on there a list of class A sedatives that got her sleep cycle back on track, in addition to a few anxiety medications that helped calm her nerves."

Melissa scanned the list with her eyes, and Spencer felt her heart rate quicken as she watched it all go down. What was he trying to prove?

"And you found this combination of medication to work well for her?" Melissa asked, not taking her eyes off of the page.

Wren eagerly nodded his head. "As soon as we switched it, it was like she was an entirely new person. A large improvement. I'm aware of minor things she had done before, but she had told me time and time again that these girls pushed her to do it based on how they treated her."

Spencer felt like she was going to be sick. Was this _allowed?_ He was basically singing Mona's praises like a lovesick puppy. It was times like these where Spencer wondered whether Melissa had refused to change her last name to match Wren's _specifically_ for an instance like this. As Spencer's anger grew, Melissa walked over in front of where the Judge Forton was sitting.

"Your Honor, I would like to have this official medical report marked as the defense's exhibit G, and ask that they be admitted into evidence."

Judge Forton nodded his head as he turned to where the girls were sitting. "Does the prosecution have any objection?"

Suddenly, Spencer couldn't stand it anymore. She leaned into her mother, who was sitting in front of her. "Yes, you do," she hissed in her ear. "Melissa can't do that, that's her _husband! _There has to be some form of bias there!"

Mrs. Hastings paused, and for a moment Spencer thought she might actually take into consideration what she had to say, taking in her words like a sip of coffee, letting it sink into her skin as she processed what she could do with that beacon of information. When Veronica opened her mouth to answer, a beam of hope peaked its way out of Spencer's heart. She was going to do it. She was really going to help them win this case!

But as always, she was wrong.

"No, your Honor," Mrs. Hastings said tautly, and before Spencer could even make a _sound,_ the judge banged his gavel down on the desk. "The witness is excused."

Without missing a beat, Spencer grabbed her mother's arm as the commotion and conversation around her increased. "How could you do that?" she whispered, not wanting to draw any attention. "We nearly had her, mom!"

"No, we didn't, Spencer," Mrs. Hastings said tiredly as she turned around to Spencer. "Even if Melissa and Wren are married, that doesn't diminish the connection between him and Mona. He's on her side no matter what."

"But - "

"If I had objected, I would've started up something unnecessary that would've gotten you all in even _deeper_ trouble," she said warningly. "Drop it."

"I don't believe this," Spencer spat. "Are you _trying_ to make us lose?"

Veronica's eyes widened as she stared down her daughter. "I said _drop it_," she said through gritted teeth. "I am doing the best I can. Next time I get a comment like that from you, I am getting up and _leaving_."

And with that, Veronica turned back around, and Spencer slumped back in her seat, somehow feeling even worse than before.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry it's been so long, guys, life has been getting fairly LIFE-Y as of late. I hope you all are still interested in this story! I know I'm not updating regularly the way I usually do, but I'm still really proud of it, and I hope you guys are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter, which I'm not going to lie is one of my favorites. So if you guys would review your FACES off for it, I'd be happy as a clam! And of course, I might just update sooner if you do :)**

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><p>"Ems, please calm down," Paige said desperately as she took a bottle of water and put it up to Emily's lips, making her drink it in small sips. Eventually, Emily touched her hand to the bottle, refusing to take anymore.<p>

"I can't," she said, her voice sounding jittery, and _not_ in a good way. "Paige, they haven't even gotten to the testimonies yet for _my_ part of the case. How am I going to keep my cool then?"

Paige bit her lip. "I don't think I'm the right person to ask about keeping your cool," she admitted, "but whatever happens, it'll be fine. You didn't do it, and they can't accuse you for something you didn't do."

"They also can't free someone for something they _did_ do, and look at what's happening!" Emily pointed out, her breathing accelerating. "I... I don't know how much more of this I can take, and it's only been two days."

"Don't worry," Paige said mellowly, rubbing Emily's arms carefully, and Emily closed her mouth, willing tears not to fall as she tried her hardest to listen to Paige. "I'm right here beside you, and I always will be. Nothing is going to change that, do you hear me?"

It took a lot of strength, but Emily weakly nodded her head, and Paige let out a relieved sigh as she leaned in to lovingly kiss Emily on the lips. This time, Emily didn't even stop her. Who cared about any conservative homophobes that might be in the jury? She needed Paige right now, and she wasn't going to let that stop her.

When Paige finally pulled away, she gave Emily a warm smile and a hand squeeze, and as she started to walk away, Emily stopped her.

"Wait!" she said abruptly. "Can you... can you just stay here and hold me?"

Paige looked as though someone had just kicked a puppy right before her eyes, but then nodded in understanding as she came up to Emily and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Emily leaned her head on her shoulder. But they couldn't stay like that for long, because within seconds, Spencer came running over to them.

"After the break, the testimonies are supposed to start," she said hastily, her eyes widened and her words flying from her mouth at about a mile a minute. Emily felt her breath catch in her throat, and when she looked over, Paige was glaring at Spencer for working Emily up when she had _just_ started to calm down. While Emily appreciated it, she _hated_ when Paige did things like that.

"Sorry," Spencer said, only half apologetically, though. "But I overheard Mona and Melissa talking, and they're only going to have _one_ of us testify."

"What?!" Paige and Emily said simultaneously as Paige retrieved her arm back in shock. Emily crossed her arms uncomfortably. "Why would she do that?"

"Don't ask me, I don't know her battle tactics!" Spencer said bitterly. "But they're deciding which one of us to take up to the stand, and it's between me, Aria, and Hanna. You're exempt."

"Can't say I'm not happy about that," Emily muttered admittedly under her breath. She had a feeling if she had to go up there, she'd just completely crack under the pressure.

"I don't know what her strategy is," Spencer said in a low voice, "but Melissa's smart, and if she only wants one of us up there, she must think she can knock the case out of the ballpark with one specific person."

"Who?!" Emily asked desperately. "Who would be able to provide that for her?"

Spencer opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, the bailiff started calling everyone back into the courtroom as he held the doors open. The break had ended.

Spencer whipped back around to face Emily. "Look, whatever happens, we'll figure it out, okay?" She held onto Emily's arms reassuringly as she said this, and Emily was more grateful for the gesture than Spencer could possibly understand.

Once Emily and Paige had entered the courtroom, Emily separated from her to go sit with her old friends. She took her seat on the end next to Spencer, as usual, but as soon as she sat down, she leaned forward, looking over at the defendant side, where Mona and Melissa were setting up. They would talk occasionally, whispering to each other as Melissa laid out her notes on the desk, and it all made Emily feel uneasy.

What were they up to?

Eventually, though, everyone had gotten settled, and the trial was about to start back up again. Since Mrs. Hastings had presented evidence beforehand and had called up a witness - a kid from the decathlon team from high school that Emily only knew because he was famous for calling people out with side-eye glances - it was Melissa's turn to call someone up. This was it. It was one of the three girls next to her. One of them had the responsibility on their shoulders of saving her, even if she wished more than ever that none of them had that responsibility in the first place. As Melissa walked up front, Emily could feel her heart thudding at a constant, steady rhythm against her chest, and was afraid she wouldn't be able to hear which witness was called by the way the blood kept pulsing against her ear drums, but she did end up hearing it when Melissa spoke up, loud and clear.

She heard everything.

"We call Aria Fitz to the stand."

There was a tiny squeal to the right of Emily, and when she looked over, all of the blood had drained from Aria's face. For a moment, it didn't look like she was going to move, as she was paralyzed with fear, but after a few seconds she turned to Emily, gave her an apologetic glance, and rose to her feet to walk up to the stand, her coral dress falling delicately behind her as she went.

Immediately, Emily turned to Spencer, and Hanna scooted in, too. "Why did she choose Aria?" Emily whispered nervously. "What could she possibly know?"

"No more than we know," Hanna countered. "But it's fine, guys! Aria's the best liar out of all of us, after all. She'll be fine."

Emily nodded her head at this, but when she looked at Spencer, she had reacted differently. "What are you thinking, Spence?"

Spencer then turned to Emily, a solemn look gracing her fair features. "Don't you guys see? Aria might be the best liar, but you _can't lie under oath._ She could go to jail if they find out she's lying, so she _has_ to tell the truth."

Emily felt her heart rate dramatically slow down as she directed her attention up to the front, where Aria was being sworn in by the clerk. "Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case now before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

Aria hesitated for a split second, and if Emily looked closely her legs were almost trembling, but she finally managed to compose herself as she lifted her chin up in confidence. "I do."

Emily found herself taking shallow breaths, but she didn't want the jury to be suspicious, so she tried her hardest to quell them. She soon felt a hand on her knee in a comforting gesture, and at first she expected it to be Spencer, but when she looked over, she noticed that Hanna was reaching over Spencer to try to help Emily feel better. She had a warm, sympathetic smile on her face that Emily hadn't seen since... well, since they were last friends.

Emily let out a shaky breath as she held onto Hanna's hand and looked up at the stand, where Aria was getting herself settled. She looked so small up there, so vulnerable, but when she rose her head finally to look up at Melissa, Emily was amazed to see that she was anything but. There was a coldness in her eyes, a determination in the tightening of her skin, and all of her trembling from earlier had diminished.

Emily soon realized that this was Aria putting up a front. The same front she used to put up back in high school.

Soon after, Melissa came up to the stand, and began her questioning. "Alright, Aria," she said sternly, yet with a hint of what Emily almost considered... gentleness? "I want you to recount for me what you remember happening the night that Alison DiLaurentis was murdered. _Everything_."

Aria flinched at Melissa's emphasis, but just as quickly brought herself together again, sitting up straight in her chair. "Well, it was a while ago, as you know," Aria said slowly, yet naturally, "but from what I recall, it was the weekend before school was going to start, and we were all getting together for a sleepover at the Hastings barn. We were laughing and talking and eating snacks, and then... we fell asleep. And when we woke up, Alison was missing."

Emily kept a close eye on Aria. Her disposition was cool, calm, and collected, but her eyes still had the cold fury from before. For the jury, Emily would have guessed that they didn't see the cold fury; you had to really _know_ who Aria was to see that, and, more importantly, to see what she was doing right now.

She was posing a threat.

If Melissa had caught onto this, she didn't let it show. She let her posture tighten the slightest bit as she took a step forward. "Did you, at any point that day, _see_ Mona Vanderwaal?"

Aria looked caught off guard for a second, and Emily looked to Spencer, who saw it, too. There was a calculating look in Aria's features, like she was going to spin up something, but Emily needed for her _not_ to do that. If Emily had to go to jail, then fine, but there was no _way_ she was dragging someone else in there with her.

"No, ma'am," Aria finally said, voice tighter than a power cord, and Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Good. At least she had told the truth. Melissa nodded her head thoughtfully as she kept going.

"But you did see Emily Fields, correct?" she pressed on.

"Well, yes, but she was asleep with us in the barn."

"How do you know she hadn't snuck out, murdered your friend Alison, and then came back and pretended to be asleep before you had woken up?"

"Because Emily wouldn't have done that," Aria said persistently, and Emily bit her lip in fear as she noticed her composure was starting to slip. "We were freshmen in high school, and she was just starting to come to terms with who she was. Back then, she never had the... _audacity_ to murder someone like that."

Emily gulped, feeling her throat pulse against her neck, as she squeezed Hanna's hand tighter. Right now it was unclear who was winning this battle, but given their track record, she didn't know if Aria could pull through.

"Right, 'just starting to come to terms with herself'," Melissa quoted, rather menacingly one might add. "And Alison knew about that, didn't she?"

Aria closed her mouth, seemingly unsure of how to respond, so Melissa kept going. "Emily Fields was in love with Alison DiLaurentis, is this a true statement or not?"

Aria kept a constant gaze on Melissa, still trying to remain calm, but finally nodded her head.

"And Alison knew this, and taunted Emily with this information. Is _this_ a true statement or not?"

Once again, Aria paused, but eventually nodded her head, confirming that this was true.

"And she showed such actions that night, the night of her... passing," Melissa euphemized. "True or false?"

Now the ferocity in Aria's features was becoming more prominent as she narrowed her eyes at Melissa, but again, she nodded her head. Emily felt like she was going to be sick.

"Now, I want you to answer my next question as honestly as possible," Melissa said at a steady pace, as though she were talking to a five-year-old, which Emily _knew_ was the best way to get under Aria's skin. "Do you or do you not think it is plausible that Mrs. Fields could have murdered Alison DiLaurentis, after analyzing this information?"

"I do _not_," Aria said firmly, and almost immediately. "Alison and Emily were best friends, she wouldn't do that! And she wouldn't do that to the _rest_ of us, either!"

There was a pause, the tension in the air making its way across the room, so thick Emily found she could hardly breathe. Melissa remained frozen in place, her face unchanging, until after a moment her lips curled up into a narrow, sinister smile, all feigned gentleness from earlier melting away. Before anyone could react, she went over to the desk, where Mona was sitting, and picked up from it a file.

"Maybe the mention of the name 'Dr. Sullivan' would change your mind about that?" Melissa said casually as she ran her hand up and down the open binding of the file. Emily could feel her heart sink into her stomach, and she felt Hanna's grip loosen on her hand. She turned to Hanna, who looked white as a sheet.

"Is she talking about what I think she's talking about?" she mouthed, and Emily shrugged her shoulders weakly. God, she _hoped _not.

"A year and a half after Alison's disappearance, Emily went to see a therapist that went by the name of Dr. Sullivan," Melissa went on to say. "Is that true?"

Aria was stunned, her hazel eyes that held so much ferocity before now filled with fear and confusion. "Yes, I... I recall her telling me about that, but - "

"And according to these files _from_ Sullivan's office, which I present to the court as Exhibit J, she performed a hypnosis technique on Mrs. Fields, to which Emily reacted by kicking, screaming, and shouting about a painful memory in which she _took a shovel and smashed it to Alison's head_."

"Where did you even get that?" Aria asked, her demeanor slipping even _more_ as she looked up at Melissa in complete awe.

"_I_ am the one to ask the questions, Miss Montgomery - "

"My name is Mrs. _Fitz_, now," Aria snapped, all of her coolness from before washed away, like rinsing the mud off of a pair of shoes - the process had been gradual, but now Aria looked like a completely new person. Still, Melissa was unphased.

"Montgomery, Fitz, _whatever_. The point is, according to these files, your friend openly _admitted_ to killing the DiLaurentis girl, and I bet if we took the shovel presented by the prosecution as Exhibit D, we'd find _her fingerprints_ on the handle of it. _Does that sound accurate?_"

"Melissa, _enough!_"

Emily turned to her right, gawking, and Hanna was gawking, too. They couldn't believe what had just happened.

Spencer had stood up from her spot on the pew, by default separating Emily and Hanna's hand hold, as she stared up at her sister in contempt. "Leave her alone," she growled. "This is getting out of hand."

Melissa was quick to bounce back. "Oh, _I'm _sorry, I think you forgot that there was a _court_ case going on."

"This is _not_ a court case!" Spencer cried, seemingly forgetting that there was a mass of people to her left watching the showdown take place. "This is you trying to harass my friends in order to win this whole thing _unfairly_! You can't present medical files without the consent of the professional! That's _illegal!_"

"It's not illegal!" This came, surprisingly, by Mona, who was standing up now. "She _gave_ the file to me, ten years ago, after what Emily had said. I kept it all this time."

"Well, she shouldn't have done that," Spencer said curtly, her words biting like a rattlesnake. Emily apprehensively tugged on the sleeve of Spencer's cardigan. "Spencer, please don't do this."

But Spencer shrugged her off. "Melissa, you _know_ Emily didn't kill Alison. Mona did it, Mona is _guilty!_"

"I don't know anything, and neither do you!" Melissa spat back. "But I _believe_ Mona is innocent, and that's what I'm here to prove. That's what's called a _trial!_ One that we're in the middle of, in case you haven't noticed, and one where I was about to make a _verdict_ with a _witness!_ Mrs. Fitz, my question from before. Is what I said an accurate statement or _not?_"

"Aria, don't answer that!" Spencer ordered, and Aria looked between the two, completely confused. Emily looked to Hanna, who was just about as panicked as she was, and then turned back to Spencer.

"Sit down," she pleaded. "_Please_."

"I'm not gonna let her do this," Spencer said in a low voice. "I'm not going to let her play the _game_ this way!"

"Oh, so this is a _game_ to you?" Melissa said mockingly, arching her eyebrows upward as all of the gentleness from the beginning of the testimony diminished. "Shows what kind of a lawyer you are."

"Excuse me?"

"_Order in the court!_" A chilling voice sliced through the air, cutting the current conversation in half and ending it formally. Judge Forton was leaned forward against his desk in complete anger. "That is enough from both of you. I will _not_ tolerate this kind of behavior in my courtroom, _is that clear?_"

Emily, even though she hadn't done anything wrong, sat straight as a pin in her seat, watching as Melissa and Spencer took in what the judge had said, before they both nodded and Spencer sat back down.

Judge Forton sighed, appearing weary from the previous endeavor. He then turned to Aria. "You are dismissed," he permitted, and he didn't have to tell her twice. Aria immediately stood back up, her entire _body_ trembling even worse than before, as the judge and the clerk had a private talk for a moment. Once they were done, the judge sat back up, turning to the jury. "Apparently that's all the time we have for today, so the case at hand will continue tomorrow. Day 2 has ended, the jury is excused, and court is adjourned."

The second Forton banged his gavel against the counter, Emily stood up and briskly walked over to Aria, who looked like she was going to faint. She immediately enveloped her in a hug as Aria stood on her toes to place her head on Emily's shoulder.

"You guys don't _ever_ want to go up there," she said, her voice muffled by Emily's shoulder. "It's the scariest thing ever."

Once she pulled away, Spencer and Hanna walked up. Hanna stood back slightly, but Spencer put a hand on Aria's shoulder. "You did a great job, don't worry about it." She then bowed her head shamefully. "I'm the one who screwed things up for all of us."

"Spence, no you didn't," Emily started to say reassuringly, but someone else had a different idea.

"Yes, she did," Mrs. Hastings said from behind, and the girls all turned to her. She had a somber look on her face, and it was directed at Spencer.

"Spencer, why would you do that?" she asked, sounding tired. "Why would you ruin any potential chance of us winning this case?"

Spencer looked appalled. "Mom, did you not see what she was doing? She was _manipulating _Aria by presenting illegal evidence! She could've caused the jury to give a false verdict for Emily!"

"Aria was doing fine until you butted in," Mrs. Hastings argued.

"No, I really wasn't," Aria said, disentangling herself from Emily as she stepped forward in Spencer's defense. "Mrs. Hastings, if Spencer hadn't butted in, _I_ would've been the one to screw things up for all of us."

"It doesn't matter who screwed up what," Mrs. Hastings said finitely as she grabbed her briefcase from the desk, securing it in her left hand. "What matters is that whatever happens, the jury is going to think we're somewhat questionable, and winning this might be harder than I thought."

"Yeah, blame your oldest daughter for that," Spencer said under her breath, but Mrs. Hastings ignored this.

"I hope you all packed enough," she said as she started to walk away, leaving Emily, and most likely the others, feeling even worse than she had before in terms of this case. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

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><p><strong>Well, looks like the trial still isn't quite finished yet. But with each passing day comes more and more dramatic and exciting events, and day 3 of the trial is the MOST exciting and eventful, in my opinion. In a few chapters, you guys are going to see the Liars completely and totally crack, and it's kind of amazing. And remember: the faster you review, the faster you can get to that point ;)<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Happy April Fool's Day, you crazy crazy humans! I wanted to find a way to prank you guys and, like, write a chapter where everyone dies and the two twins from _The Shining_ come out of nowhere and whisper "April Fools" after asking you readers to play with them forever... and ever. But instead, I wanted to say something else:**

**This week actually isn't a particularly happy one for me, because one of my all time favorite websites, TelevisionWithoutPity, is being taken down. Every single recap for every single show you can think of, every record of snark and wit and intelligence that was put into that site, will be no more as of this Friday, and I'm not taking the news very well, to be honest. I've spent the past year devouring Jacob Clifton's flawless analysis of _Pretty Little Liars_ on the site, and over the weekend I've been getting into some super old recaps from, like, ten years ago for some of my other favorite shows like _Doctor Who_ and _America's Next Top Model_ and _How I Met Your Mother_ and _American Idol_... they really do have something for every show you can think of, whether it be forums OR recaps (although stay away from the PLL forums, everyone is kind of an asshole on there).**

**The writers on there are all incredibly gifted, and have a way of making you see television and the shows you're watching in a new light. So I encourage you all to go on there over the next few days and soak up what you can, because after Friday it's all going to be gone, and that's incredibly unfair to everyone, especially the writers, because what is on that site is actual, legitimate masterpieces. Jacob Clifton is a diamond in the rough, and one of my greatest inspirations as a writer. He has taught me so much ever since I started reading his work: not just about how to look at PLL and Television from a different perspective, including nuances in acting and music and set design and the implicit meaning behind the character's words and actions and facial expressions, but how to look at _life_ from a different perspective. Things like, not everyone is going to care about your personal problems, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to you the way you rise from them. Things like, the reason we keep moving so quickly through life is because to stop moving would mean to fall apart, which is partly why we're all so eager to grow up. Things like, taking someone's agenda is not the way to go, and being persuasive means letting yourself seem open minded, but making the consequences clear so that you win out and don't hurt anyone. Things like... ACT NORMAL, BITCH! He's incredibly witty and hilarious and has a way of making running jokes _stick_ and never get old, but he's also one of the most intellectual and perceptive people I've ever come across, and his analytical tangents that he can't help but go on at least once during just about every single recap can sometimes be straight chilling. Without his writing, I wouldn't enjoy the show nearly as much, and this sounds totally cheesy, but I would be a totally different person if I didn't have his recaps to shape my personality, humor, and thought processes into what they are today. I encourage all of you to read at least one of his recaps in the next week, because he really is terrific, and I don't know what his plan is after this, but I wish him all the best.**

**If you all could go on the site and read what you can before it shuts down, that would be amazing. As a fan of the site, I feel like the only way I can repay these wonderful people for providing me with such great humor in such a traumatizing chapter in my life (guys, does anyone actually LIKE being a teenager?) is to make sure the glory of the site lives on for as long as possible.**

**On that note (that was really long, I apologize), here's your next chapter, so I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

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><p>"You look like you've seen a ghost," Ezra said as they started to walk toward the car, side by side. Aria sighed as she aligned her step with his, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her peacoat as the wind blew harder against her ivory skin.<p>

"I feel like I have," she admitted. "Having Melissa aggressively interrogate me like that was not something I was prepared for."

Ezra turned to her, a suspicious look on his face. "Surely you would've _known_ that at least one of you was going to have to testify for Emily."

"No," she protested. "I didn't know because Spencer decided it'd be a good idea _not_ to tell me or any of us that we'd have to do something like that!"

Ezra winced, and Aria stopped short in her tracks. "What was that face?"

Ezra stopped walking, too, before looking back at her, with something in his face that she couldn't quite pinpoint. "I just thought things were going so well with you two... and with Emily coming over last night, I figured you all had become friends again."

Aria huffed as she stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets. Unfortunately, becoming friends with the girls again was turning out to be much harder and much more complicated than she originally thought. They couldn't just sort out years of staying apart by sitting around for tea and Chinese food. There were so many gaps that needed to be filled, and dangerous gaps at that given how Spencer had just _neglected_ to tell them about their testimonies for Emily's portion of the trial. And now, who knew what was going to happen? Aria was scared to death that she had gotten Emily into even deeper trouble than she was already in, and tomorrow she knew everything was just going to escalate even further.

But perhaps the worst part was... perhaps Spencer didn't trust Aria the way Aria trusted her. And perhaps that was true for _all_ of the girls.

"There's just so much happening," she said sadly as she picked up her pace again. "I think it'd be best if we all kept our distance... for now."

Ezra looked at her unsurely as he walking alongside her, but he stopped when his gaze caught on something else ahead of Aria, and when she turned to see what he was looking at, she saw her own little boy running toward her as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Tom squealed with joy as he ran up to her, and she immediately kneeled down and scooped him up in her arms, pleasantly surprised.

"Hi, sunshine!" she said lovingly as she kissed him on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to surprise you," Ella said, appearing into view as she walked up to the couple. "I brought Aiden and Elijah, as well, but Veronica saw us at the car and took them off of my hands."

"That was nice of you, mom," Aria said gratefully, as she bounced Tom up and down in her arms. "How was your day?"

"Awesome!" he beamed, giving her a giant thumbs up. "We played the entire day!"

"And you're not even tired yet?" Ezra piped in with a laugh. "I'm impressed."

Tom eagerly shook his head, his black curls swinging into his face rapidly in the process. But soon Tom's energy faltered slightly as he curled his lip under and stared up at his parents in hurt. "How come you're gone all day?" he asked glumly. "Why can't you stay home and play with me?"

Aria felt like someone had just ripped her heart out of her chest and smashed it with a sledgehammer on the concrete. "I'm sorry, Tom," she said softly. "We're just busy."

Tom furrowed his brow. "You said this was going to be a fun trip."

"Tom," Ezra warned as he took his son from Aria and into his own arms, "your mother never said it was going to be fun, but you're having fun with Elijah, right? You like playing with him."

Tom narrowed his hazel eyes, pondering over this, until he nodded his head, agreeing that the Cavanaugh boy did make a fun partner for playing all day, but Aria could still feel the guilt consume her. She hated the fact that she had to go to this trial with a group of girls who probably didn't want to see her anymore - even if she herself spent most nights back in New York missing them so much she would ache - and as a result leave her son at home. She wished more than ever that she could cuddle up with him and a good book, or watch cartoons, or do whatever Tom wanted to do. He was the love of her life, and she just wanted him to be happy.

Suddenly, Aria was jolted from her thoughts when someone came into her vision from afar. Up ahead was a head of dirty blonde hair, and a recognizable head of blonde hair, too.

It was the blonde head of Jason DiLaurentis.

Once Aria gathered her thoughts together, she remembered what Jason had _done_ yesterday. He had accused Emily of murdering his sister. _He_ was the reason for this prolonged trial.

"Aria?" Ezra said, and Aria turned to him.

"What?" she said absentmindedly, blinking a few times.

Ezra looked at her suspiciously, still holding Tom in his arms. "I said do you want to just ride with Tom in Ella's car, or..."

"Umm... I'll get back to you on that," she said abruptly, staring back at the courthouse, where it looked like Jason was entering. "I think I forgot my phone inside, I'm gonna go look for it."

Ezra looked taken aback. "Oh, okay. Do you want me to help you look?"

"No that's okay," she said, albeit a little too hastily. "You help Tom get settled, I'm sure I can find it on my own."

She didn't even stop to take in his frazzled expression. She simply turned on her heel and started toward the courthouse, seeing the automatic doors open and close, permitting Jason entrance. Determined, Aria picked up her pace.

Once she was at the doorway, she sped up, seeing the back of Jason's frame. He wasn't in his suit from yesterday; he was in a simple pair of jeans and a long sleeved henley. Aria was confused toward what he was _doing_ here, exactly, but she kept going anyway.

"Jason!" she called out, and Jason whipped around at the sound of his voice. When he caught sight of Aria, his brooding green eyes softened, appearing kinder than usual.

"Aria," he spoke, his voice surprisingly warm for the cold day outside. It was also a nice change in scene from the cold, curt tones everyone used in the courtroom. "Long time, no see."

Aria crossed her arms hostily. "Not exactly. We saw each other yesterday when you were standing up for Mona Vanderwaal in court."

Jason sighed, not saying anything, taking in her words like a slave taking a beating. _Good_, Aria thought. _At least he knows I'm right_.

"What are you doing here?" she said carefully, and Jason tilted his head to the side, as though he needed to think about this.

"Mona and Melissa wanted to meet with me to ask any further questions," he explained, but this just got Aria even angrier.

"Why are you defending the person who killed your sister?" Aria asked, more bluntly this time, although she was amazed at how softly she was speaking. She found that she physically _couldn't_ be harsh around Jason. "And why would you accuse Emily? You _know_ Emily would never do such a thing."

"I've done a lot of thinking in my life, Aria," Jason said tiredly. "And Mona is not the bad guy."

"Of course she's the bad guy!" Aria said incredulously. "Why is everyone suddenly jumping on the 'Saint Mona' bandwagon? I know it was ten years ago, but is it that easy to _forget_ everything she did to us?"

"She was in a bad place back then," Jason said excusably. "She was hurt and angry, and anything she did was because of that!"

"That doesn't justify murder, _or_ blackmail."

"You may be right," Jason said agreeably. "But she didn't kill Alison. She couldn't have."

Aria paused, looking up at Jason. He seemed so sure of everything he was saying, but _why?_ What made him so sure? What was giving him so much confidence?

"Do you care to elaborate on that?" she said impatiently, but Jason didn't look like he wanted to. He ducked his head, his stubble casting a shadow on the crevices of his face.

"I guess I can just relate to Mona, and I trust what she has to say."

"You _trust_ her?" Aria could feel her voice gradually increasing in volume the more she talked.

"I value what she has to say, yes," he said sternly, raising his head now. "And when she told me that it was really Emily that night who bested my sister - "

"Wait." Aria interjected the conversation as her heart rate dramatically slowed down. "Mona _told_ you that? She told you to say that, didn't she?"

Jason froze, his eyes widening as he looked caught. Aria put a hand to her forehead in frustration. "Jason, Mona has you under her spell. You're smart enough not to fall for it!"

"I'm not falling for anything," he said stubbornly. "All I know is that if it were me behind those bars for ten years, I'd want to get out, too. I'm just trying to put everything into perspective, Aria. Maybe the four of you should, too."

"But Jason - "

"In fact, if I were you, I'd stop worrying about me." At this point, Jason emerged forward, narrowing his eyes at Aria as he spoke the next few words with surprising malice. "I can see that you're looking out for me, but maybe you should be looking out for yourself. Maybe _you're_ the one who's misjudged."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"There you are!"

Aria felt her bloodstream freeze over as she slowly turned around. Ezra walked into the room. He hardly acknowledged Jason's existence, but he did go so far as to put an arm protectively over Aria's shoulders. "Did you find your phone?" he asked sweetly, but Aria detected an edge to his voice.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "Yeah, I found it. I'm ready to go now."

"It was nice talking to you, Aria!" Jason said, and Aria curtly nodded her head as she went with Ezra out of the courtroom, taking into account the scowl that never left his face as they exited the building.

"You didn't have to do that," Aria pointed out as they made their way to the car. This, however, only worked him up even more.

"Do what? Keep my wife away from that _bastard?_"

"He's not a bastard... well, at least not in the derogatory way I know you're thinking," she corrected, remembering Jason's stance with Mr. Hastings. "He's just confused. He and Mona have... history together, I guess."

"Are you going to even _mention _that you two have history together as well, or do I have to say it?"

Aria screeched to a stop, turning to face Ezra with a glare gracing her dark features. "You did _not_ just say that."

"Aria, can you blame me for being insecure?" he said, throwing his hands out. "There was a time when you had to _choose_ between me and him."

"And I chose _you,_" Aria said with confidence. "Ezra, I'm not going back to Jason, if that's what you're thinking. I just wanted to talk to him about what happened yesterday."

"Well, I don't want you doing that either," he said stubbornly.

"Ex_cuse_ me?"

"Aria, he's dangerous," Ezra enunciated. "Jason is not a good guy, he's trying to keep Mona out of jail!"

"I'm just as confused by that as you are, but he's not a threat," Aria said calmly. "He knows something, and I think Melissa and Mona might be manipulating him to help them win the case."

Ezra licked his lips in thought as he looked over to the courthouse, squinting against the blinding light from the sun setting over the building. He then looked down at her, his blue eyes glazed over with worry. "I just don't want to see you hurt," he said caringly. "Just... stay away from him, okay? For me?"

Aria looked unsurely back at the courthouse, but then eventually complied, nodding her head, wanting nothing more than for Ezra to be happy. "Okay," she said solemnly, and Ezra sighed in relief as he leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on her lips. Aria leaned into the kiss, feeling the tension escape her body as Ezra massaged her lips with his own, before they made their way back to the car, Jason's words still pounding against her head as they did so.

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><p><strong>So Jason speaks up: Mona was behind framing Emily. That girl is <em>good<em>. But what else do you guys think is going on with Jason? Why is he helping Mona? What does he know? Sound off in the reviews!**

**Next chapter includes some delicious Paily for you all, so get those fingers moving! Faster reviews, faster updates ;) and once again, thank you all for reading this story. You're all complete and total gems.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, so here's the thing. You all are as lovely ever, and I feel horrible about this, but... for the next ten days, I'm not gonna be able to update. At all. I'll be out of the country, with no internet access, so I'm gonna have to put this story on hiatus until then. But that being SAID, I feel like this story has been lacking in reviews lately, probably since you're losing interest, so I'll strike a deal with you: if you guys can get me to 250 reviews by the time I get back - and I don't care if that means you have to log out and leave excessive guest reviews - I'll update not once, but TWICE. You have until next Friday, and if THAT'S not enough to get you excited, this should be: next chapter is a Hannily chapter ;) if you don't get me to 250 reviews by then, I'll sit back and wait until you do, and will probably only update once.**

**Once again, I'm really sorry for leaving you all like this, but I just want you to know that I'm so happy to get to write this story for all of you and I really hope you're enjoying it, and if you're not, I assure you that soon enough exciting things will happen. Here's the layout: next chapter, Hannily. Chapter after that, Spencer/Elijah time. Chapter after THAT, Hanna/Mona showdown. And chapter after THAT... Mona throws an A-team accomplice - who was kept under the radar this entire time - under the bus. Any guesses who it could be? Sound off in the reviews! Until then, here's your chapter :)**

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><p>"Blake! Collin! Come back here!"<p>

Emily cushioned herself in the armchair in her family room, comforted by the sounds of Paige restlessly chasing their children around the house, with Blake and Collin giggling elatedly as they ran circles around the bottom floor, never getting tired. She nursed a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, trying to calm her nerves as she took it in small sips. But before she could take another, she felt a hand prop itself on her shoulder, and turned around to find her mother, all spruced up in a red blouse and gold jewelry, standing behind her.

"You're sure you're okay with us going out tonight?" Pam asked, sadness shining in her brown eyes as she looked at her daughter with what was meant to be comforting sympathy, but only made Emily feel worse. Sure, she was stressed out about everything that had happened in court, but that didn't mean her parents had to be. She didn't want them to have to worry about her, especially after she had come home in tears yesterday and confessed everything to her father as he cradled her in his arms, trying not to make the fear in his eyes very obvious, even if it was crystal clear to Emily.

Emily rapidly nodded her head as she set her mug down. "I'm sure," she said certainly. "Dad is home, and you guys deserve some time together."

"But the only reason he came was to make sure you were okay."

"And I'm _fine_," Emily said reassuringly, hoping her mother couldn't tell that her hands were trembling. She tucked them under her thighs to make sure they weren't seen, but when she looked back up, she could tell Pam had noticed.

"Mom, please just go out and have a good time, okay? For me?"

Upon hearing those last two words, Pam sighed in defeat. "Fine," she caved in. "But I don't like it." She leaned over the chair to kiss the top of Emily's head before making her way over to the door, where Wayne was waiting with the keys to the car, and Emily went back to sipping her hot chocolate as she waved goodbye to them, trying to pretend not to notice the pitying glances they were giving her.

If there was anything in the world Emily hated above all other things, it was people treating her like she was made of glass. She had gotten enough of that in high school, and she certainly wasn't looking for it to start back up again.

Soon, the boys' footsteps got louder, and eventually the twins were sailing into the room, but just as soon as they came in, they dashed right out through the other entrance. Emily chuckled at this, but she chuckled even harder when Paige came in, practically out of breath.

"Now I know that swim training is bullshit," she wheezed as she plopped onto the couch across from Emily. "I'm completely out of shape!"

Emily set her hot chocolate back down on the table next to her, figuring that at this point she would never finish it. "We should probably request that they strengthen our endurance by having us chase little 3-year-old monkeys around a large open space for minutes at a time."

Paige threw her head back in laughter at this, but by the time she came back down, Emily hadn't joined in on her joy. Paige immediately caught onto this and stood up from the couch, coming over to Emily's side. "Hey," she said tenderly, taking Emily's chin in her hands and having her look up at her. "Are you still upset about what happened today?"

"How can I not be?" Emily muttered bitterly, curling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself, as though to protect herself from a chill coursing through the air. "Paige, they think I'm a murderer."

"No, Mona and her little band of minions is _trying_ to make you look like a murderer to save her own ass," Paige corrected. "But it's not working."

"Yes it is," Emily said bitterly, taking a cushion from behind her and squeezing it to her chest like a stress ball. "No matter what we do, it always ends up blowing in our faces. Somehow in ten years she hasn't lost the ability to make us look _insanely_ bad."

"First of all, you could _never_ look bad," Paige said coyly, raising her eyebrows seductively as she gave Emily an appraising look that Emily couldn't resist caving under. "And second of all, this is only the second day."

"But that's what everyone keeps saying!" Emily exclaimed, suddenly losing her temper. "'Oh, it's only the beginning of the trial, don't worry'. Well how long is this thing supposed to last?! When can I get my _life_ back?! Will I _even_ get my life back?!"

A look of panic crossed over Paige's face as she turned her head into the kitchen, and Emily immediately read her mind. Blake and Collin were still within earshot. She _had_ to control her emotions.

Emily huffed as she leaned back against the chair, and Paige took this cue to sit on the arm of it. "Now do you see why I had to leave yesterday?" Emily said weakly. "I can't have them hearing any of this."

Paige bit the corner of her lip in thought, before she nodded her head subtly. "Yeah, I do," she said grimly. "I just... I worry about you, Em. I don't like this happening to you just as much as you don't, and... you really scared me yesterday."

Emily bowed her head as she tucked her knees into her chest, resting them against her pillow, and Paige started stroking her shoulder lovingly. "I'm sorry," she said, tears welling up in the back of her throat as she willed herself not to cry. "I didn't mean to scare you. I... I just want this all to end soon."

Paige just kept stroking her shoulders and moving down her back, keeping the rhythm going. But after a minute, she stopped. "Blake! Collin!" she called, and Emily shot her head up. Within seconds, the two little monsters came soaring into the room, nearly knocking into each other as they skidded to a halt at Emily's feet, tripping over the pant legs of their overalls as they came to a complete stop.

"How would you like to go out to dinner tonight?" Paige said excitedly. "Does that sound fun?"

"Yeah!" Blake said cheerfully, throwing his hands up as he grinned from ear to ear, and Collin immediately followed suit, doing whatever his brother was doing.

"Okay," Paige said, engaging them even further. "We'll leave soon, and you can get chicken nuggets and fries. How does that sound?"

"I want grilled cheese!" Collin said, voicing a different desire, and Paige smiled warmly as she ruffled his hair.

"You can have whatever you want," she said, "but be sure to thank your mother. It was all her idea!"

The boys immediately jumped up on Emily's lap before she had a chance to react, crowding her as they struggled to wrap their little arms around her at the same time. "Thank you, mommy!" they chimed, and Emily laughed as she squeezed them as hard as she could, their little faces mushing into hers. She stayed like this for a minute, enjoying the feeling of her boys in her arms, before they started getting antsy and climbed back out of her lap and went back to playing.

Once they were out of the room, Paige turned to Emily, a smug grin on her face. Emily wasn't sure how to feel. "What was that about?"

Paige shrugged. "I figured you'd want to go out," she said simply. "Clear your head a little. We can go to the Apple Rose Grill, and the kids will be happy. And besides, both of your parents are in the city! Perfect timing to steal the night away for ourselves."

Now Emily was sure of how she felt. She stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Paige in a show of appreciation, her head rested on her wife's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered. "I think this is what I need."

Paige hugged back, and the two stayed like this for at least a minute, before Paige pulled away. "Well, considering I've been chasing three-year-olds around the house for the past hour, I'll go take a shower," she joked.

Emily giggled. "Alright, I'll stay down here and keep an eye on Blake and Collin."

With one final peck on the lips, Paige ascended up the stairs, and Emily plopped back down into the chair. Tonight would be good. She could get her mind off of everything, enjoy some quality time with her family, and the Apple Rose Grill _did_ serve good food. But there was still something gnawing at her chest, and Emily knew it wasn't the pings of hunger she was getting from unintentionally avoiding food for the past few days out of anxiety. This was something much greater.

Every time it seemed like she was getting closer to the girls, she seemed to be pushed further and further apart from them. She knew they were there for her, especially after what she'd been going through with 'Team Mona's' recent accusation of her, but she had a feeling they were only there because... well, they had to be. They obviously didn't want to seem like _monsters_ for not sticking by her side, but she wasn't sure if there was anything genuine behind their kind words and reassuring gestures. How could there be? It'd been ten years since they'd seen each other, and they'd all grown and changed so much since then. With the different paths each of their lives had taken, it was a miracle those paths had somehow met a fork in the road at the one place they all grew up in.

She knew she'd have fun tonight, that was a given. But she still so desperately wanted to recuperate with the girls, that she hoped that didn't take away from the good time she was about to have.

Sighing, Emily stood up, sliding across the floor on her cotton ankle socks as she made her way over to the window. She pulled out her phone from the pocket of the jeans she had changed into, dialing an all-too-familiar number. She needed to clear her head, and it seemed like this was the only way she was going to do it.

As her fingers glided across the keys and she held the phone up to her ear, she felt her heart start to pound. The phone started ringing, but the longer it rang, the more nervous Emily became. She felt a trickle of sweat drip down her cheek, making the phone stick to the side of her face ever so slightly, but she ignored this as she kept the phone pressed to her ear. As she waited, somewhat impatiently, she let her fingers trail along the linen lining of the curtain, feeling the coarse texture between the cartilage in her fingers. Somehow it soothed her, but it also made her even more anxious, so she turned her attention out the window. A few kids were riding their bikes in the street, enjoying the sunshine even if it was cold out, and a small bird with red feathers was flapping its wings as it made its way over to a tree on the other side of the road. Emily transferred her phone to the other ear as she watched the bird. _If the bird makes it to the tree branch in the next five seconds, things will be okay_, she thought to herself, engaging in the old superstitions she used to use to make herself feel better when she was younger. _One... two... three... four..._

Before she could hit five, the bird decided to change its course in direction and head toward a different tree branch. Emily felt her heart sink, and before she could attempt to recuperate...

_"Hi, you've reached Hanna Rivers. I can't get to the phone right now, but if you want to leave me a message, I'll get back to you soon!"_

Emily sighed glumly, debating whether she should leave a message or not, but before she had a chance to really ponder over it, a _beep_ was heard on the other end, and she found herself stumbling over her words on the voicemail. "Umm... hi Hanna, it's Emily. I... I guess you don't have my number anymore, but I wanted to call because... well, actually I don't know why I'm calling."

She then leaned up against the window as she kept talking at no one in particular. "Things just aren't going that well right now, but today at the trial, I really appreciated you and the others being there for me. I'm sorry that you have to come to this thing and deal with us, especially since you clearly don't want anything to do with us anymore, but in a way... it almost makes this thing better. If we stick together, it'll all work out in the end, right?"

Emily knew she was droning on, and Hanna was probably going to delete the message the minute she heard Emily's voice, but she kept talking. "Please, Hanna, I don't want to go through this alone, and I don't think you do either. I know you don't want to be friends again, but if you would like - "

_Beeeeeeeeep._

Emily felt a tear stroll down her cheek. The answering machine had cut her off. None of her friends wanted to see her, or talk to her, or even take a phone call from her. What if it had been an emergency? What if something had happened to her? Had Hanna really become that heartless?

No, she couldn't have. She was Hanna. The girl could be occasionally snarky, and her lack of filter wasn't always taken well, but she had one of the biggest hearts Emily had ever known. She wouldn't just flat out ignore Emily... would she?

_Well, she just did_, Emily thought bitterly as she threw her phone on the armchair, trying her hardest to forget about it. She was going to have a nice evening with Paige and the twins, she was going to put the trial behind her for the night, and she was _not_ going to dwell on possibly being sentenced to jail for something she didn't do. Emily then put her hands to her forehead, trying her hardest to forget the previous encounter. Tonight, she wasn't going to think about Hanna, or Mona, or any of the girls. She was just going to focus on _her._

"Collin! Blake!" she called. "Come upstairs with me, you can help me pick out what to wear tonight!"

Within seconds, the two tornadoes came running, following Emily up the stairs like she was a herder of a field of cows, and once they got up to the bedroom, she picked out a nice denim shirt, a pair of black leggings, combat boots, and a necklace, showing the items up to them for approval and getting eager head nods in response. Eventually, Paige came out of the shower, fully dressed but still drying her hair as she laid eyes on Emily.

"Wow," she breathed, staring her wife up and down. "You look..."

Emily silenced her by planting a kiss on her lips. "Thank you," she said, not just referring to the compliment, before she met the twins in the hall and started her descent down the stairs, with Paige not too far behind.

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><p><strong>This is where I take the time to say what an idiot Emily is for breaking up with Paige on the show.<strong>

**Don't forget: 250 reviews by next Friday, or no update! Love you all, see you next time! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Guess who's back? And let me just tell you: you guys rule. Within a few days of my trip, you ALREADY got me past 250 reviews, which is amazing.**

**Updates should be back to normal now - once or twice a week - and since you got up to the goal, it's time for me to hold up my part of the bargain: as soon as you all get me 10 more reviews, I'll update again today. Sound good? Excellent. And you're gonna want to, because day 3 of the trial is my FAVORITE, and so much goes down in these next few chapters that you're gonna want to get your hands on.**

**Included in these next few chapters is some very sweet Hannily, so I'll get to that right away. Enjoy!**

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><p>Hanna picked at her food with her fork as she slumped over in her seat. She was at the Apple Rose Grill with Caleb and Audrey, and it was so loud she could hardly hear herself think. But then again, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe being able to escape from her present thoughts was what she needed.<p>

She felt a hand place itself gently on hers, and when she looked up, Caleb was giving her a reassuring smile, rubbing the outside of her hand with the fleshiest part of his thumb. She sighed happily as she squeezed back. Caleb had talked her into a night out, desperately trying to get her out of her current funk - if it could even be called a funk. While Hanna wasn't quite 100 percent, and she doubted she would be as long as she was still in Rosewood, she appreciated Caleb's gesture, and despite her efforts to push him away, she was really glad he was here. There was no way she could get through all of this without him.

She then averted her eyes to Audrey across from her, whose blonde hair was slicked back so that the sides were pinned down, allowing her ringlets to fall down onto the back of her velvet burgundy dress, and whose glimmering blue eyes were narrowed in determination as she tried to make a teepee out of her french fries. Staring at her beautiful little girl, Hanna knew she couldn't get through all of this without being able to come home to Audrey every day, either. To walk through the door and be greeted with her warm smile, to watch her features etch into the most elated emotion possible when she was laughing her head off at an episode of _Rocky & Bullwinkle_, to watch her calculating expression when she watched her father working, and so much more. Having both of them here was something she couldn't believe she had taken for granted at one point.

Hanna relaxed into her happy thoughts for a moment, but when she watched as Audrey's fries collapsed and she made a move to rebuild it, she was pulled out of them. "Hey," she scolded, pointing her fork accusingly at Audrey. "Stop playing with your food."

Audrey's eyes widened, before she gave her mother a knowing look. "You're playing with yours," she pointed out, and Hanna was stunned only for a second, before she looked down to see that she had barely eaten a scrap of her salad; she'd only stabbed it repeatedly with her fork, leaving it looking like green mush.

Hanna blushed as Caleb laughed. "She's got you there," he said lightheartedly, but his smirk was wiped clean off of his face when Hanna turned to glare at him. She couldn't keep it going, however, because after a moment she started laughing, too, and turned to take a bite of her salad.

"See? I'm eating now," she said sassily, her comment directed mainly at Audrey, but also intended for Caleb's ears. "Now be a good girl and finish your dinner."

Audrey slumped into her seat, her face contorting into a defeated pout, as she picked a french fry off of her plate and nibbled on it thoughtfully. Hanna grinned satisfactorily as she made a move to take another bite of her salad, but when she looked ahead behind Caleb, her stomach lurched and she nearly spit her lettuce all over the table.

The door to the restaurant opened, and in walked Paige, wearing a pair of bellbottom jeans and a flowy blouse - an outfit combination that Hanna wouldn't be caught dead in, but actually looked flattering on Paige - and Emily, wearing a denim top and leggings. Both of them had one twin on each hand, and Emily looked happier than she had this entire trip.

Hanna sighed as she all but threw her fork back down on her plate. The girls couldn't fool her. They were _way_ happier without her in their lives.

Caleb eyed Hanna warily once she made a big show of her projectile cutlery, so he turned around to look. Hanna's breath hitched in her throat until he turned back around, but then he calmly cut a piece of his steak and put it in his mouth, allowing her to slowly release the air in confusion, waiting for him to say something.

Seeing this all take place, Audrey furrowed her brow and turned around as well. Just as quickly, she whipped back toward Hanna, eyes bigger than saucers. "Momma, it's auntie Emily!" she said excitedly.

"Shhh," Caleb said hastily, propping a hand on Audrey's shoulder to calm her down. Hanna was surprised, and Caleb must've caught onto this, because he addressed this.

"I'm not going to ask you to go over there and talk to her," he reassured, even if somewhat reluctantly. "I know that's not what you want right now."

Hanna pondered over this as she sat back in her seat, crossing her arms against her chest. Finally, she pushed her chair back and stood up. "Actually, it is."

Caleb, sipping his water at the time, nearly choked on it. "What?"

"I'm gonna go talk to her," she said, letting out a short breath as she walked away from the table, not bothering to take in Caleb's confused expression as she did so.

What could she say? She was feeling daring.

Hanna weaved through the tables, being careful not to bump into any chairs or knock down any abandoned iced tea glasses, until she got over to the table that Paige and Emily were seated at. "Hi."

Emily looked up, and nearly got whiplash at the sight of Hanna before them. "Hi..." she said, not bothering to filter out the questioning in her voice. Hanna could feel the guilt rise up in her chest. She had been so awful to her old friends lately that a simple greeting had evoked _that_ kind of reaction.

"Umm..." Hanna began, biting her tongue with anxiety. This was harder than she thought it would be. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Emily looked conflicted, and Hanna held her breath while she made her decision, but then Emily turned to Paige, asking for her to order for her, and Hanna released the breath she had been holding. Emily then stood up, and Hanna gestured for her to follow her outside.

Emily let the door close behind her, rubbing her arms as a gust of wind went by, and then turned to Hanna. "What's up?"

Hanna let a shiver course through her, too. It was this kind of weather that made her crave a cigarette...

Emily looked at Hanna expectantly, waiting for to say something, but in truth Hanna didn't know what to say. She wasn't even sure why she had brought Emily out here to begin with. The past few days had just been so awful for all of them, and she was beginning to realize that her behavior wasn't helping anyone, and she was _hoping_ to find a way to make up for all of that, but by the way she was getting tongue tied at the very moment while Emily was staring her down, she started to realize that that might not be happening anytime soon.

"I guess you got my message," Emily said softly, and Hanna's head shot up, her eyes meeting with the uncertain gaze on Emily's face.

"What message?" Hanna asked warily, and Emily shrugged.

"I called you about a half hour ago," she said. "I mean, it wouldn't do any good listening to it now since you never wanted to listen to it in the first place - "

"Em, I was in the restaurant," Hanna said honestly as she dug through the pockets of her black skinny jeans for her phone, before finally retrieving it and scrolling through to her voicemail. "It's loud in there, I couldn't hear."

"Or maybe you just didn't _want_ to hear," Emily said coldly, and Hanna flinched. She guessed she deserved that.

Sure enough, there was one missed call and one voicemail from Emily Fields. Emily leaned forward, looking at the screen on Hanna's phone, before she raised her eyes, an undetermined expression on her face.

Shooting Emily a look, requesting for her not to leave, Hanna pressed play as she raised the phone to her ear. She was met with the sound of Emily's sweet voice. At first, she sounded so calm, so collected, but as the message went on, she started cracking more and more, each word sounding harder to enunciate, harder to keep together. She sounded so desperate, so needy of Hanna during this time, and by the time the message ended, Hanna could feel the tears well up in her throat.

Not because of the thought of Emily needing her during this time of need. But because she was finally beginning to recognize that she needed Emily and the girls as well.

"You kept my number all this time," Emily finally said, and Hanna was finally able to determine the love, the warmth, the _relief_ in Emily's expression.

Hanna clutched her phone close to her heart. "I couldn't bring myself to delete it," she said hoarsely. "I... I missed you all so much."

"Then how come you haven't been acting like it?" Emily didn't sound as hurt as much as she sounded confused. She was simply trying to understand.

Hanna tapped her fingers against her hip, feeling the pack of Marlboros in her pocket that she desperately wanted to light right now - she always had these urges when she was nervous. "Because... I was always afraid that you guys didn't miss me as much," she confessed.

"But Hanna, we've told you how much we miss you," Emily countered. "You know we did!"

"Sure, you _say_ you did," Hanna went on. "But then you guys would go on to say that this is only temporary, that this doesn't have to be forever, that we can only just be for each other while we _need_ each other. But..." Hanna gulped loudly, simply saying the words she was saying nearly too much to bear. "What if I don't want it to be temporary? What if I just want things to go back to the way they _were?_"

"Hanna, they can!"

"You _all_ say that!" Hanna's voice was rising in volume now, and she could feel the tears in her eyes begging to leak through onto her cheeks. "But that's what you said last time, and now look what happened! This is the most we've _spoken_ to each other in ten years, Emily!"

Hanna then spun around, facing the street, not wanting Emily to see the tears that were now falling. "I'm not ready to have my heart broken again," she whispered. "And I don't think the rest of you are, either."

There was silence, nothing to fill it except for the rush of cars on the street, and the sound of plates clanging and chairs scraping and people chatting inside the restaurant. Hanna suddenly felt numb, and as the blood rushed from her head and through to the rest of her body, she started to realize that this might not be the worst thing. She had put her emotions out in the open, and now all she had to do was wait for a reaction.

The silence wasn't filled quite yet, but soon she felt a pair of fingers wrap themselves around hers, and when she turned her head, Emily was standing beside her.

"You're right," she said so softly that Hanna had to strain her ears to hear. "I'm not ready to have my heart broken again. But I've learned now, and we all have, and we can avoid it this time."

Hanna sniffed indignantly. "But we all live so far away. How can you be sure that we'll stick together this time?"

"I'm not sure," Emily admitted with a small laugh, one that made Hanna feel at ease. She missed that laugh. "But we'll figure it out, okay?"

Hanna looked up at Emily, memorizing her face as she thought about this. Sweet Emily, who had hardly changed since high school. Her eyes held the same kindness, her skin held the same glow, and her heart shined on her denim sleeve the same way it always used to. If Hanna was really passionate about sticking with Emily and the rest of the girls, then she had confidence that they would pull through in the end.

"Okay," she finally said, and she and Emily embraced, holding each other closer than they ever had, and Hanna took in the smell of Emily's chlorine scented hair, something so small that she never would've guessed that she missed so much. Emily rubbed calming circles along Hanna's back as Hanna let out the sob that she had been trying so hard to hold back as soon as she exited the restaurant, and neither let go of the hug for a long, long time.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Emily was the one to pull back. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "It's just that..."

She averted her eyes to the window of the Grill, where Blake and Collin were excitedly pointing at the menu, deciding what to get, and where Paige was looking increasingly more frazzled the more she tried to calm them down.

Hanna giggled. "Yeah, I understand. I should probably get back to Caleb and Audrey, too. Who knows what she's done to her french fries while I was gone!"

Emily gave Hanna a warm smile and a shoulder squeeze before she made her way inside. Hanna watched her go in, but lingered back, not wanting to make it awkward. She considered staying out a little longer, maybe hiding in a nearby alleyway as she snuck in _one_ Marlboro, but she ultimately decided she didn't want to worry Caleb, so she decided on counting to thirty before wiping her face clean of tears and entering the restaurant.

When she got back, Caleb and Audrey's plates were cleared, and they were looking at a dessert menu. Hanna sat down, frowning at the plate of demolished lettuce in front of her that the waiter hadn't bothered to clear. "What is this?" she demanded, and Caleb looked up, shrugging.

"We didn't know if you were finished or not," he said simply before turning back to the menu, but then Audrey looked up as well.

"How was your talk with auntie Emily?" she asked sweetly, and before Hanna could help herself, she let a smile grace her features.

"It was nice," she admitted as she carelessly took a piece of lettuce and chewed on it. While she was chewing, Caleb put the menu down, and he and Audrey shared a look, one that Hanna couldn't place. Their staredown held for a few moments, until Audrey raised her eyebrows knowingly. Finally, Caleb sighed, reached into his jeans pocket, and pulled out a packet of Skittles. Audrey proudly held out her hand, and he dispensed a few into it. She gobbled them proudly. All while this was happening, Hanna stared at them in awe.

"What was all of that about?" she asked suspiciously, and both Audrey and Caleb didn't even bother hiding the smirks creeping across both of their faces.

"We had a bet going," he said with a laugh. "We were in disagreement on how long it would take for you to rekindle with the girls."

"Daddy said by the end of the week," Audrey said with a grin. "But I didn't think you'd last longer than today."

"You both were placing a _bet_ on me?" Hanna said, aghast. "With... _Skittles_?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Caleb challenged. "M&Ms? Hershey's kisses?"

Audrey laughed like this was the funniest thing she had ever heard, and she and Caleb shared a high five. Hanna still wasn't getting over her initial shock, and she ended up narrowing her eyes at Audrey.

"How did you even _know_ about... what was happening?" she asked incredulously, but she only earned an eyeroll from Audrey.

"Please," she said breezily. "I'm six now, I can figure things out on my own."

Hanna's blood was still boiling by this point, but soon she felt it start to subside, and soon after she found she was even laughing along with Caleb and Audrey. "You're just growing up too fast," she said sentimentally, admiring her daughter as a waiter finally came over and cleared her plate.

Yeah, Audrey was growing up, but Hanna had done some growing of her own. And somehow, somewhere, she was becoming okay with that.

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><p><strong>Caleb and Audrey gambling with Skittles. You can't get much better than that. If you all enjoyed this chapter, leave a review and tell me what you thought! Remember: 10 reviews, and you get the next one, which includes a very sweet moment between the Hastings family :)<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, I always try to stay true to my word, so 10 reviews later here I am with your next chapter, part 2 of my double update! I'm glad you all liked the Hannily - I was flailing and sobbing everywhere while I wrote it, believe me - and now you're gonna get another breath of fresh air: a sweet moment between the Hastings family. A lot of you were questioning what that would even LOOK like. Well, it looks a little something like this...**

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><p>Spencer hummed to herself as she spread some jam on a piece of toast, before placing it on a plate with a few orange slices and a cup of coffee for her breakfast. She would need her energy if she was going to fight off both her mother <em>and<em> her sister for the third day in a row in court. She was almost beginning to wonder if her own mother was trying to lose the case on purpose so that Melissa could win it, but she didn't think her priorities were _that_ screwed up...

As Spencer took an angry bite of her toast, she pondered over the past few days in her head. Based on their current track record, today was going to be the same: Veronica would present evidence that put Mona in a bad light, Melissa would argue against this evidence, then Melissa would have a witness testify that put the _girls_ in a bad light, Spencer would argue with Melissa about how what she was doing was wrong, Veronica would yell at Spencer, all while Mona just sat back in her chair, watching the whole show take place with glee.

This trial could've ended much sooner if her mother had said something in regards to Melissa's defensive tactics. There was just something about the way Melissa ran her case, something about the way she interrogated witnesses, the way she presented evidence, the way she counter examined, the way she managed to take everything the girls said and flip it on its head that seemed so... _wrong._

When Melissa had questioned Aria yesterday, she had manipulated her in a way that Spencer didn't even know Aria could've been manipulated, and if Spencer hadn't stepped in, Aria would've surely cracked. Melissa had hit all of her weak points: she had started off sweet and gentle, almost making Aria feel like she could trust her, until she penetrated the skin, swimming her way deep into Aria's system and taking her down from the inside. Speaking to her with condescension, treating her like a child, questioning her stance that Emily was innocent, taking the threat she was posing and throwing it back in her face, just throwing bullet after bullet at the front that Aria had put up by doing everything that Aria _hated_.

And she could do this because she knew Aria, which was perhaps the worst part. All of the witnesses, everyone who had testified, was someone that Spencer, the girls, and Melissa herself had grown up knowing. Rosewood was a small town, and it was almost as though Melissa had been silently preparing for the moment when she would take down every single person in that town.

Spencer knew her sister could be a total high strung bitch when she wanted, but the fact that she could be calculating like this was a scary thought.

And an even scarier thought was the fact that her mother couldn't even see it.

Speaking of her mother, as Spencer took a heaving gulp of her coffee, she heard the sound of someone trotting down the stairs, and when she turned around, Veronica came into view, already dressed in a black pant suit with a pink, pinstriped, button-down blouse.

Spencer looked down at her t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms that she had worn to bed, and then looked up at her mother in confusion. "We're not supposed to leave for another hour."

"I know," Mrs. Hastings said as she walked past Spencer to the coffee machine and poured a generous amount into her travel mug. "I'm supposed to be at the courthouse early today, though, to discuss some pressing matters regarding the trial."

"And those pressing matters are?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow up to her hairline as she took another bite of her toast, and Mrs. Hastings just sighed forlornly.

"I'm trying my hardest to win this case for you girls, and I guess I supposed it would be easier than it currently is," she explained. "But that's what I'm going to see the judge about, try to pull some strings."

"Mom, the judge isn't the one you should be pulling the strings with!" Spencer argued, plopping her toast down on her plate with vigor. "You should be doing something about Melissa! She's the one who's prolonging the trial! If it weren't for her - "

"Spencer, please stop," Veronica said as she held a hand out. "My migraine gets worse and worse every time you rant about your sister."

"Because you don't want to hear it," Spencer said blatantly, but Veronica shook her head.

"No, because I thought you both were going to be mature about this, but you girls never stop _fighting!_"

"Are you expecting me to be okay with this?!" Spencer asked. "I'm not going to just _let_ my older sister go against me in court, and while going against me in an unjust way at that!"

"I know it seems like she's being unfair, but she's just doing her job!" Mrs. Hastings said softly, trying to get through to Spencer, but Spencer didn't want to hear it.

"For once, I wish you'd see my side of things," she said as she folded her arms against her chest stubbornly. Mrs. Hastings looked like she wanted to argue, but there was something in her eyes that was so tired, so worn, that ultimately she decided against it.

"I know it seems like I am," she began, walking around the counter over to Spencer, "but that's only because I'm trying to keep this family together. And I was hoping the fact that this trial is splitting us up like this wouldn't cause any kind of rift, but... apparently I was wrong."

"_Very_ wrong," Spencer said mercilessly, and Mrs. Hastings bowed her head.

"I guess I'm just a little stressed out about this whole thing, and it seems like you girls are, too. But once things die down, we'll get back to normal, okay?"

Spencer was having a lot of trouble distinguishing what was normal and what wasn't, but the unexpected sincerity in her mother's voice made her want to appease her in whatever way she could, so she finally nodded her head. Mrs. Hastings then gave a relieved smile as she kissed Spencer's forehead and then made her way out the door, bidding Spencer farewell for now.

Spencer took one last bite of her toast, and then made her way over to the trashcan to scrape the leftovers off of her plate. Toby was still in the shower, and she'd have to get dressed soon so that she could drop off Elijah and Aiden at Ella's. While she knew her kids were in good hands, and Elijah grew more and more fond of Tom every day, she wished she could stay at home with them all day, and while she barely talked to the other girls - even Aria, whom Spencer thought she was on good terms with, was growing more distant from her, and that was exacerbated even more by Spencer keeping her testimony a secret from her - she knew they probably felt the same.

They had lives of their own, and responsibilities to take care of. And while Spencer couldn't speak for the other girls, she _herself_ was tired of watching Mona take the upper hand. She knew her mother didn't want her to, but she _needed_ that upper hand.

"Momma?"

Spencer shot her head up, and placed her plate on the counter before turning around to see Elijah descending down the stairs, dressed in Thomas the Train pajamas with his curls messed up in a bed head. Spencer smiled as she walked toward him. "Yes, my love," she said sweetly as she kneeled down to the ground and he sleepily walked over to her. "How did you sleep?"

Elijah shook his head as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Not good," he admitted, and Spencer was suddenly so overwhelmed with concern that she didn't even bother to correct his grammar.

"Why?" she asked, standing up and walking over to the couch, requesting that he follow. "What's wrong?"

Elijah climbed onto the couch next to her and stared up at Spencer in melancholy. "Why are you and daddy always fighting with auntie Melissa and grandma?" he asked innocently.

Spencer could feel her heart crack inside her chest. She was waiting for the day that Elijah would ask this question, but she was hoping it wouldn't be until much, much later. Nothing could've prepared her for this moment.

Spencer sniffed back unwanted tears as she took Elijah's hands in her own. "Baby, I never wanted you to see that," she said, nearly choking up at her own words, and the sight of Elijah's beautiful blue eyes, widened in curiosity, wasn't helping.

"But why?" he asked. "What's wrong with you guys?"

Spencer scooted in closer to Elijah then, and Elijah climbed into her lap. "There's just a lot going on right now," she said, trying to sidestep the issue for his sake. "Your aunt and grandmother seem to disagree with your father and I about... things."

"What things?" Elijah pressed.

"Things that I will tell you about when you're older," Spencer said sternly. "Serious things that... that I wish you didn't have to know about."

"Why can't you tell me what they are?" Seeing Elijah look at her with so much confusion as to why she would keep something from him, why she would break his trust like this, was enough to make Spencer want to melt. He was her little boy, and once he got older he would realize that this was all to protect him, to keep Mona as far away from him as possible.

But right now, he didn't understand any of this. And there was no way she could help him to understand without telling him everything.

"Soon, you'll realize I'm doing this for your own good," she finally said, wrapping him in a long hug, hoping it would suffice for all of the words unsaid. "I know you want to understand it all now, but I just can't tell you anything."

"But I can handle it, mommy," Elijah said, pouting his lips as he pulled back from the hug. "I'm a big boy."

The corners of Spencer's lips rose slightly at this as she ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I know," she said caringly. "It's almost scary to think how big you're getting to be. I guess I just don't want to let go of that... I'll always want to keep you safe."

Elijah furrowed his brow. "I'm not in danger, momma, I'm just asking a question."

"I don't have all the answers, honey," she said with a limp shrug of her shoulders. "And the answers that I do have, I just can't give to you."

"But you're all always fighting," Elijah egged on, and Spencer cursed herself for passing on that Hastings persistence to him. "You're never nice to each other."

Spencer thought about this, and realized he was right. When they were at home, Spencer rarely ever mentioned her family in Rosewood, and even during the holidays, Spencer's parents had come down to D.C. to visit maybe once since she had moved. A huge part of the past Spencer had tried to leave behind lied in her family and the pressure they put on her, and Spencer supposed she subconsciously didn't want to expose either of her children to that.

But now that Elijah was catching on, and it didn't seem like he was going to be letting go of it any time soon, maybe it was time Spencer told him a little about it just to whet his appetite. She was beginning to realize that the environment she was exposing him to for the amount of time that they had been staying here was not a good one, and it was up to her to fix that... or at least compensate for it.

"Elijah, when your aunt and I were younger, we never got along," she began, still not believing she was really telling him this. "And while we had our moments, even today we're... we're still not on good terms with each other."

"What did you fight about?"

"What _didn't_ we fight about?" Spencer said with a dry laugh as she leaned further back against the couch cushions, still looking up at her sweet little boy. "We wanted to be better than each other at everything, and... it got out of hand."

Elijah looked so hurt by what Spencer was telling him. "I'm sorry, mommy," he said, his voice and face filled with sorrow, before he leaned in on Spencer's shoulder, wrapping his little arms around her in a hug. Spencer hugged back, more grateful for his kindhearted gesture than she knew how to express.

But she still didn't feel properly whole after this exchange, so once Elijah pulled away, she knew what she had to do.

"I need you to promise me something, sweetie," she said, and Elijah nodded his head rapidly in response.

Spencer squeezed his arms gently. "Whatever happens when you and Aiden grow up, I want you to promise me that you'll always love her, always respect her, and that you'll never end up the way your aunt and I did. I don't want that to happen to you. Cherish your sister... because it's too late for me to cherish mine."

A distinct sadness shadowed over Elijah's face, but eventually he nodded his head again as he whispered softly, "Anything for you, mommy."

It was taking everything in Spencer not to reveal the tears creeping up behind her eyes, so in order not to let them show, she wrapped Elijah in another hug, kissing his hair and not letting go for several seconds, not wanting him to leave her arms, not wanting him to be put in harms way.

After another few moments, Elijah started squirming, trying to get out of her grip, and Spencer finally complied, releasing him. She then stood up and walked into the kitchen. "What can I get you for breakfast?"

"Lucky Charms!" Elijah said excitedly as she helped him onto one of the bar stools by the counter. Spencer laughed as she made her way over to the box of cereal - she had to go out and buy it herself, considering her parents had never let either her or Melissa have any type of sugary cereal when she was younger, and wouldn't be caught dead with it today - and poured a bowl for him, before making her way upstairs to get dressed.

The day ahead was going to be just as emotionally exhausting as the days before, but a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders now that she had had that talk with Elijah. She had grown up, and while she had grown up apart from the girls, she had still managed to live a successful and fulfilled life without them, so why should she be upset about her own son growing up?

Soon, she would be able to tell him about the pressing matters that were weighing so heavily on her, and she couldn't wait for that day.

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><p><strong>Of course Spencer "Perfect" Hastings is the perfect mother. I wanna know: who is your favorite Liar-offspring? Sound off in the reviews! Once I get 20 more reviews, I'll update WITH... wait for it... replies to each review. And next chapter is a GOOD one, so this is a huge treat for you guys (a way for me to repay you all for being gone for so long). Here's a sneak peek toward what you're gonna see in the next update:<strong>

"Can I talk to you?" Hanna asked boldly as she planted her feet right in front of Mona's black stilettos.

Mona swallowed the last of her carrot as she looked at Hanna, and then averted her glance over to the security guard. It seemed like she had picked up the vibe that Hanna had wanted to talk to her alone, because she then handed the security guard the empty bag and said curtly, in a voice that was still hoarser, yet still just as powerful, than what Hanna was used to, "I want you to know... that was the last carrot stick."

**See you all next chapter ;)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Annnnddd HERE we are! What happened? Any other time I would've asked you guys for 20 reviews, you would've done it in an instant! Nevertheless, you guys finally reached the goal (shout out to two very sneaky, lovable guest reviews for saving your asses and getting me the reviews I need to give you this chapter).**

**I promised I'd reply to reviews once I got the number of reviews I wanted, so here we go:**

**britneymartina:**** I like Audrey, too! And well, you're gonna find out what happens right now!  
><span>Immissone:<span> Thank you so much! Believe me, there is still PLENTY of drama to come, and as for Aria and Ezra's relationship, I'm going to pull a Marlene and say: wait for it ;)  
><span>nick2951:<span> I don't think that's true, Spencer has grown very much. Just because a person has matured doesn't mean they have to change completely. And wait until you get the full chapter ;)  
><span>prettylittleliars39464:<span> I love Spencer/Elijah as well! Spencer and Toby are both pretty wise, so I figure Elijah is pretty intuitive as well ;) and oh yeah, Hanna has a LOT to say to Miss Mona, and it's gonna be GOOD!  
><span>missdallywinston:<span> Tom! Looks like everyone is pretty divided on who there favorite child is, haha. And I think I messaged you with who I ship, and I would reiterate here if I actually knew WHO... it alternates, really. As for your guess, that's a valid guess. But I'm not confirming/denying anything ;)  
><span>OceanSky9:<span> You'll see more of Haleb/Audrey, don't worry. In fact, this next chapter is partly a Haleb chapter!  
><span>Lizz281:<span> Thanks!  
><span>fangirlingoverPLL:<span> first of all, love your username ;) second of all, Audrey seems to be the consensus! And I can't wait for you to read the fight!  
><span>eveningshades1107:<span> I'll address your sassy self a little more later, but I will say one thing: yes, it is the nod. You could say I might have jumped at the opportunity to use it ;)  
><span>Siretha Elaine:<span> I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but in time I think you'll understand why Mrs. Hastings is acting the way she is. And oh gosh, you're making me blush! Thank you so very much, I'm so happy you're enjoying it :D  
><span>Stella:<span> Coming up!  
><span>arubagirl0926:<span> Yeah, he's a cutie XD thanks!  
><span>Guest:<span> Or should I say, CHESS AND SARAH! You both are brilliant, and I love how I could IMMEDIATELY tell it was you two freestyling it up in the reviews. I'm so blessed to have friends like you guys who would actually DO something like that! As always, lovely to hear more from both of you, and god dammit I have MISSED your flawless reviews Chess.  
><strong>

**NOW we can get to the chapter. Compared to next chapter, this one is KIND of a filler, but something very exciting happens that I hinted to in the sneak peek, so I'm excited for you all to read it :) enjoy, and a review at the end would be nice!**

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><p>Hanna walked into the lobby of the courthouse with her shoulders back, her head high, and with Caleb on her arm. She didn't know why, but today seemed different from the past two days of the trial. Today, she felt that she could take it, and whether it was because she knew what to expect <em>or<em> because of the reunion she and Emily had last night, she wasn't certain.

All she knew was that things were looking up.

"Hanna, slow down," Caleb said as he laughed lightly, trying to keep pace with her while they kept their arms linked.

Hanna blushed as she faltered in her pace, looking up at him as she flashed a bright smile. "Sorry," she said. "I just... I feel like the world is on our side today. I really think this thing could end today."

Caleb looked at her curiously - it was an amused look that was common for him, where his eyes shined with mocking wisdom and one corner of his mouth turned up ever so slightly - before he wrapped his other arm around her waist once they had stopped walking. "What has you in such a good mood?"

Hanna narrowed her eyes playfully as she brushed her body up against his. "It could be that you're wearing another tie that I gave you."

Caleb looked down at his tie, which was a peppermint pink with white stripes skating across it. He then gave her a knowing look once he met his brown eyes with her blue ones. "Nice try," he said coyly. "I know Audrey picked this one out."

"What gave you that idea?"

"Because she told me about a thousand times the minute I put it on," he said blatantly, and Hanna bowed her head shyly.

"Bested by my own daughter," she joked. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Caleb giggled as he pulled Hanna in even closer until their lips were touching, and the two engaged in a steamy kiss that eased Hanna's tension even more as she closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the moment. With Caleb by her side and her renewed partnership with the girls, she felt like they really _could_ take Mona down.

But of course that was all subjective given who Mona was, and Hanna was quickly reminded of this when a murmur of voices behind Caleb caught her attention.

She pulled away from him and looked over his shoulder to find Mona leaning against a pole while she engaged in a conversation with the security guard that was watching over her. During this time, she was retrieving carrot sticks out of a ziploc bag one by one, munching on them contently.

Caleb turned around and watched this scene go down as well. "Well, at least she's eating something," he said in a clear attempt to bring levity to the situation. "I almost feel _bad_ that she had to waste away like that in prison all these years."

"Yeah, me too," Hanna said softly, but with very little heart in it as she was too busy studying Mona. In just ten years, so much had happened to Mona. Hanna could hardly imagine what she had gone through in prison, and a part of her really admired Mona for pulling through. It was because of Mona that they were losing this trial; Spencer would argue that it was Melissa's fault, but Hanna knew that someone had to be feeding Melissa all of this information to use against them, and that was Mona. With the sharpening of her bones revealing themselves through her olive skin came the sharpening of her mind, and for that Hanna had to admit that she was the strongest person she had ever known.

But a strong person didn't make her a _good_ person. Even so, Hanna had found herself becoming more and more confused the longer the trial dragged on. At the beginning, she had walked in with so much loathing for her old best friend that it was nearly impossible to contain. Now, she wasn't too certain. The arguments Mona would make against the evidence they had presented were so convincing that even _Hanna_ had started to believe them, and she was beginning to wonder if that meant they were actually true. Even if Mona was always the one in the driver's seat, constantly pressing the gas pedal and inching closer and closer to the girls, pushing them to the edge of the cliff, to their breaking point, Hanna felt like she might have had a compelling reason behind it all; something wallowing in the passenger's seat, holding the map up and giving her directions.

Were she and the girls really that horrible to her? Why else would Mona have driven to such great lengths to torment them?

Mona's anger had built up over time, and her insecurities had gotten the better of her. But it still took a rare kind of person to stab her best friend in the back - almost literally, even - and go against all of her other friends just because of some bullying that had happened in the past.

And that rare kind of person was standing right in front of Hanna, chomping on carrot sticks and staring into the distance, probably plotting her next action to make the girls look guilty and have the jury worship her at her feet.

Just like she had in high school.

Suddenly, Hanna found herself disentangling herself from Caleb and advancing forward toward Mona. Caleb jolted forward, grabbing her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have something I'd like to say to the _defendant,_" Hanna said through tightly gritted teeth, her arm tensing up under Caleb's grip as she internally demanded that he let her go.

But Caleb wasn't giving in so easily. "Hanna, I don't want you near her," he said cautiously. "She's dangerous, and I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to you - "

"Nothing's going to happen," she said as she yanked her arm out of his grip. "There are police officers everywhere, she's not going to touch me. I'm not going to do anything stupid, I promise. Alright?"

Caleb studied her a little while longer, probably wondering if this was a smart decision, and when he looked ahead at Mona, Hanna knew he was wondering if Mona was going to say something that would mess with her head, but Hanna was far past that. Whatever Mona said couldn't get to her by this point. She wouldn't let her.

The minute Caleb held up his hands in surrender, Hanna turned on her heel and marched over to where Mona was standing, draped in a maroon dress and a white cardigan.

"Can I talk to you?" Hanna asked boldly as she planted her feet right in front of Mona's black stilettos.

Mona swallowed the last of her carrot as she looked at Hanna, and then averted her glance over to the security guard. It seemed like she had picked up the vibe that Hanna had wanted to talk to her alone, because she then handed the security guard the empty bag and said curtly, in a voice that was still hoarser, yet still just as powerful, than what Hanna was used to, "I want you to know... that was the last carrot stick."

The security guard then gave Mona a steely eyed glare as he snatched the now empty bag from her hands, and with one last apologetic look toward Hanna, he walked away to retrieve more carrots.

Mona then turned to Hanna, keeping her expression neutral as she sank onto one hip. "Hello, Hanna."

Hanna found herself gulping loudly. This was going to be harder than she originally thought...

But the longer she stared into Mona's blank face, the clearer the smugness in her eyes became, and Hanna suddenly found the courage to speak up again.

"You know we're not going to let you win this," she blurted out, surprising herself with the bitingness behind her words. And it seemed like she had surprised Mona, too.

"I don't know what difference it would make if I did," Mona said with a small shrug of her shoulders. "I was promised a fair trial, and that's exactly what I'm getting. I consider it a gift."

"Not the way you're unwrapping the present," Hanna said boldly, and while Mona was looking at her like this analogy didn't quite make sense, Hanna continued on. "The way you're approaching this trial isn't right. Everything you're saying isn't even true!"

"All of the evidence I have presented has made sense," Mona retorted, her tongue clicking against her teeth with perfect articulation, perfect accuracy. "Everything I have to say is justified, and the way I see it, either one of us winning would be fair."

"No it wouldn't be," Hanna denied, shaking her head with disgust. "After everything you did to us, it would be the opposite of fair for you to win this case and be free to walk the streets as you please."

"Considering I haven't walked the streets as I have pleased in ten years, I think I'm entitled to a little freedom," Mona snapped, and Hanna winced. Alright, maybe that was true... but the way she saw it, ten years wasn't enough. Mona had run under Hanna with a car, destroyed Aria's family, framed Spencer for murder, and drugged Emily to the point of being hospitalized. Her actions were unforgivable in Hanna's eyes, and the fact that there was a possible limit on her punishment made her sick.

"That's not the way I see it," Hanna said venomously, the words slowly dripping from her mouth like the remnants of an ice cream sundae, only it was the most bitter ice cream sundae that Hanna could think of. "You rotted in prison for ten years, and if I'm seeing to it you'll rot in it for another ten."

Mona widened her eyes, before blinking rapidly, as though trying to understand. "I'm just... I don't know what I could've done to make you think you can speak to me like this."

Hanna was surprised she hadn't just slapped her right then. "You are _not_ playing the innocent card here! It may have worked on the jury, but it's not working on me."

"You seem to have forgotten that I've been through just as much as you have, Hanna," Mona barked, her voice cracking but her stance strong. "I'm not proud of the decisions I made in the past, but I've paid for my mistakes! Meanwhile, neither of you seem to have realized the impact you had on me in all of my teenage years! I was bullied, _humiliated_, and when I thought I could turn to you as a friend, you turned on _me_ for your old posse and left me in the dust! When is it going to be _your_ time for you to unleash all of the skeletons in _your_ closet?"

Hanna was stunned. Everything Mona was saying right now was sounding awfully familiar, and she knew why.

This was like the monologue Mona had given on the first day of the trial.

Mona tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at Hanna, and Hanna suddenly felt very uncomfortable as a tingling feeling rushed up through her limbs. "I thought it was over when I got out of Radley, but then you bitches did it again. You got me thrown into _another_ straight jacket."

"Mona, that's because of how _horrible_ you were to us - "

"This isn't like the chicken or the egg, Hanna!" Now Mona's voice was raising, but she was being cautious of her surroundings. As far as Hanna could tell, no one had caught onto their conversation, and the security guard was still getting Mona her carrots. "You girls started this whole thing with how _you_ treated _me_, yet _I'm_ the one who always comes out looking like the bad guy."

Now Hanna just felt even more uncomfortable, more numb, and while she knew Caleb was watching this all take place from afar, she couldn't bare to look at him.

He was right. Mona was in the process of fully brainwashing her, and the worst part was that she was completely aware of it happening.

As though she could read Hanna's every thought, Mona just smiled a toothless, victorious smile. "So if I'm making you girls look guilty, that's just to make up for all of the harsh treatment _I've _had to endure on your behalf for the past ten years. So suck it up, Hanna."

With that, Mona started to walk away, but suddenly Hanna gained all of the feeling in her limbs back as she lurched forward and grabbed Mona's arm. At first, she was shocked at how easily she could wrap her entire hand around Mona's wrist, but when Mona turned around, giving her a terse look, Hanna got over her initial shock.

"I still have one more thing to say to you," Hanna hissed.

Mona glanced behind her, and then glanced down at her wristwatch, analyzing the time, before she raised her gaze up to meet Hanna's. "The break room is about 78 meters from here, and based on the steady walking pace the security guard took, and how long ago he left, it'll take him another minute to get back here. So make it quick."

Hanna was taken aback by Mona's quick mental math, but then composed herself as she planted her feet firmly on the ground and gave Mona the most satanic look she had to offer. "If you do end up winning this trial, then so be it," she said in a low voice. "But stay away from my family. Touch one hair on any of their heads, and I swear to you, you're going to wish you were back in an orange jumpsuit. Do you hear me?"

"Family?" Mona raised her eyebrows in surprise. "A bunch of little Hanna's running around?"

Hanna pursed her lips into a thin line as she crossed her arms against her chest defensively. "Not a bunch," she said curtly. "Just one. And I _will_ file a restraining order if you ever go near her."

Mona stared up at Hanna, unblinking, and Hanna was desperate to break the silence that was growing between them. The longer it stretched on, the more crazed she felt. But finally, Mona nodded her head. "I wouldn't dare," she said softly, and with that she gracefully made her way down the hall, meeting the security guard halfway down her path in the center of the lobby.

Hanna felt like her legs were going to give out from under her, and before she knew it, Caleb was at her side, hands on her shoulders for support.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a voice so coated with worry that Hanna wanted to say anything to make him smile again.

But as she watched Mona walk around the corner, she suddenly felt a huge weight lift off of her. The confrontation between her and Mona was bound to happen at some point, and now she had gotten it out of the way. It was time to just sit back, relax - or relax as much as she possibly could - and let the trial before her unfold.

"I think I am," she told Caleb with confidence, and by that point the bailiff had opened the doors, and it was time for the trial to start. As Hanna made her way into the courtroom, she caught sight of Emily, who turned to smile at her. And Hanna found herself smiling back, reminding herself that they were on good terms now, and she stalked up to Emily and clasped her hand in hers as the two of them walked up to the front of the room to meet with Spencer and Aria. Hanna immediately took her place next to Aria, and offered a greeting, and once Aria had gotten over her initial shock at how cordial Hanna was suddenly being, she smiled and said hi back, engaging in a conversation with her about how their respective evenings had been, how they had slept, and other typical checking-up procedures. Eventually, even Spencer joined in on this conversation, and while the abrupt closeness between the girls was something new to all of them, somehow it was working, and somehow they were managing to almost pick up right where they had left off.

And when Mona walked into the room, head high and shoulders back in a battle position, Hanna knew that she had never been more ready to take her down.

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><p><strong>You could say tensions are pretty high right now... well, they're about to get even higher. The OT4 is somewhat together again, and next chapter is where they take Mona down. And, under pressure, Mona reveals some VERY juicy information. Who do you guys think was working with her all along? Sound off in the reviews! 10 reviews for this chapter, and I'll update again! And... GO!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Whooo! That is what I'm TALKING about! Not only did you guys give me 10+ reviews for the last chapter, BUT you got me over 300! I'm amazed at what some of you are saying, that this is your favorite story on the site and stuff like that. It almost makes me feel bad about what I'm about to do to your hearts this chapter... almost ;)**

**(Before I move on, some of you asked if I've seen the 5x01 promo, and the answer is YES I ABSOLUTELY HAVE AND IT IS INSANE!)**

**Enough chit chat, though, because I want to get straight to this chapter. Are you ready to find out who Mona's accomplice is? You sure? Alright then...**

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><p>"You haven't answered my question: were you or were you not in love with Alison DiLaurentis?"<p>

Emily could feel beads of sweat collecting on her forehead as Melissa stood before her, a silhouette of power and intimidation in bedazzled heels and a beige business dress. Melissa had called Emily up to testify, and it was not something she was expecting. At first, the girls all thought Aria's testimony would be the end of it, but Melissa had caught them completely off guard by calling Emily to the stand. She didn't know what was going to happen with Spencer or Hanna, but she did know that this was the most terrifying experience of her life. Emily knew in her heart that she once had feelings for Alison, but how could she bring up those feelings again? Not only was the love of her life sitting just meters away, but this simple yes or no question could be the deciding factor in whether she got Mona's orange jumpsuit as a hand-me-down or not.

But alas, she was sworn under oath, and if she simply brushed it off and said no, she _knew_ Melissa would pull out evidence that said otherwise, so Emily just nodded her head. "Yes, I was. But I'm not anymore."

"The present doesn't matter," Melissa said curtly, her sharp tone of voice like knives piercing Emily's skin, making her wince at the impact. "What matters is that you were in love with her when she was alive, and you were in love with her the night she was killed."

Emily opened her mouth to retort, to say otherwise, but she knew that wasn't the way to go. As she had seen before with Spencer, arguing with Melissa wouldn't help anything at all.

Sure enough, within just a matter of seconds, Melissa pulled a small envelope out of her blazer pocket, and Emily didn't need to look closer at the piece of paper she had pulled out of it to know what it was.

"Consent from the Rosewood Police Department brings me to this piece of evidence," Melissa said formally as she held it up for the jury to see, before twisting her head back over to Emily and smiling crookedly. "Mrs. Fields, do you know what I am holding?"

Her words slithered their way around Emily like a snake, sending shivers up and down her arms and making her squirm in her chair. "Yes, I do."

Melissa nodded her head, satisfied. "Would you like to tell the jury what this is?"

Feeling a surge of boldness, Emily uttered, "No, I wouldn't, thank you."

Her gaze was fixed on Melissa, but from further ahead in her peripheral vision she could see Hanna suppressing a snort of laughter, and behind Hanna she could just barely make out Paige nodding her head proudly.

But Melissa was not so easily amused. "Don't be a smartass," she spat under her breath, before speaking more loudly. "That wasn't a request, that was a command. Tell me what I am holding, Emily."

Emily swallowed, regretting her decision to snap at Melissa, but also trying her hardest not to look afraid. Taking a deep breath, she confessed to what Melissa wanted her to confess to. "You're holding... a letter."

Melissa cocked an eyebrow up to her hairline. "A letter?" she said, her tone so patronizing that Emily nearly wanted to pop her in the jaw. "What could this letter possibly be of?"

Emily averted her eyes toward Mona, who was sitting smugly in her chair, watching this all take place. Emily had never felt so much hatred for one person before. This was supposed to be _her_ hearing. _She_ was the one who was supposed to be up here, pleading innocence, not Emily. How had Mona so easily flipped the tables to the point that this was hardly even her trial anymore?

But that was just it. She had flipped the tables _because_ she was Mona. Somehow, in the ten years that Emily and the girls had been away from Rosewood, they had all forgotten what Mona was like, how she operated. She was layered like an onion, with every single one of her personalities stacked on top of each other like pancakes, every single one of them focused on a common goal, a common plan.

Locking her up all of these years had just given her more time to focus, more time to plan her revenge. And by the looks of it, she was going to get it.

"Would you like me to repeat the question?" Melissa said, her tone mocking, and Emily simply plastered on a smile as she tried her hardest not to leap over the counter and wrap her hands around Melissa's neck.

"No, I remember it clearly," Emily said through gritted teeth. "It's..." Emily let out a sigh before admitting to the truth. "It's a letter that I wrote to Alison."

Melissa smiled, once again satisfied with Emily's answer, and to Emily's horror, she held it closer to her face, and started reading the words on the page out loud. "You say things on here like how you 'don't know how she can go from kissing you one minute to hating you the next', and how she's 'not afraid of hurting you', so you've begun to wonder what you're so afraid of."

Emily flinched, the memory of her scribbling these words onto the parchment with tears in her eyes when she was just a freshman in high school vivid in her mind. But Melissa didn't even bat an eyelash at her reaction.

"These words all seem to be coming from a place of anger," she said logically. "You loved Alison, but she didn't love you back. And she _taunted you_, _teased you_, and even let you _kiss her_, but in the end she was just playing a game. For her, it was like pretending to throw a bone for a dog, but she never threw it. She had the bone behind her back the entire time."

Emily could feel her throat twitch. Melissa brought up some good points. Alison was constantly throwing a bone for Emily, and Emily would chase after it every time, even when she knew Alison was holding the bone behind her back the entire time, and that it had never even left her hand. She knew Alison was pretending, deep down, yet she still fell for the same trick over and over again.

But that didn't mean Melissa was right. Emily was asleep in the barn with the other girls when Alison was being murdered. By _Mona_. Not her.

Unless there was something she wasn't aware of...

"You and the other girls claim to have been asleep while Alison was being offed with a shovel," Melissa said, her voice steadily becoming more and more menacing as she reached the climax of the testimony, "but according to the file Dr. Sullivan kept of you, you were prone to sleepwalking."

"You were never given authorization to that file in the first place," Emily snapped, suddenly finding the courage to speak up. This wasn't fair, and _someone_ had to do something about it.

From the defendant's side of the courtroom, a long groan sounded through the air, and when Emily looked over, Mona was rolling her eyes, as casually as if someone had just interrupted her filing her nails. "I already _told_ you, she gave me authorization to that file a long _time_ ago," she said exasperatedly. "If you're going to argue, at least do it right."

By that point, Emily was ready to fight back, but before she could so much as call Mona out, Melissa stepped right back in. "You were angry with Alison for stringing you along like that, and you wanted to get revenge. You wanted to hurt her like she hurt you."

"I admit, I was feeling angry, but I would _never_ do something like that to her!" Emily croaked, trying to find a way to bring the evidence back to her side. "I'm not the sociopath here, _Mona_ is!"

Mona, obviously not wanting to hear this, slammed her hands on the desk before her and stood up. "See, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about!" she exclaimed. "Always trying to make _me_ look like the bad guy. If that's how you feel, come over _here_ and say it!"

"Cut the innocent crap, Mona!"

Emily spun her head at the direction of the voice so quickly she nearly got whiplash. Hanna was standing up now, shooting daggers at Mona with her piercing blue eyes, which had now turned a shade darker than usual. "You know you murdered Alison, and you _know_ that you're responsible for everything that has happened to us in high school. You're not fooling anyone!"

"That's because I have no one to fool!" Mona protested. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Like _hell_ you're telling the truth!" Hanna continued on, struggling to stand up straight, as a wide-eyed Aria was desperately trying to pull her back into a sitting position. "You're guilty, and you know it! You're just stalling, you're trying to take the focus off of yourself because _you're freaking 'A'!_"

"Order in the court!" Judge Forton just about screamed, banging his gavel, the sound reverberating so close to Emily's ears she just about leaped out of her skin when she heard the wood meet wood. But to her surprise, Hanna was unphased.

"I don't care what you say," she continued furiously. "I don't care what your reasoning is, I don't care that you've somehow brainwashed the jury into thinking you're some angel. I care about the fact that you spent two years of your life _tormenting _us! You made my life a nightmare back then, and you're making it a nightmare now!"

Mona just folded her arms and scoffed, and at this point both Aria and Spencer had stood up, along with Caleb in the pew behind them. "Hanna," Emily heard Aria whisper to Hanna calmly. "Please calm down."

"Looks like the pixie actually knows what she's talking about for once," Mona said sardonically, and when Emily turned over, she saw Aria's features harden as she advanced forward a step.

"Look who's talking, pipsqueak!" she snapped, her composure falling as her entire body stiffened with pure contempt. Emily gawked as the scene before her unfolded. The girls had actually cracked...

"Do you mind putting a leash on your friends?" the judge said from the podium above Emily, and he didn't need to tell her twice. She shot up like a jack-in-the-box, jumped down from the stand, and darted over to the girls as fast as her high heels would take her, all while Melissa stood back triumphantly in her peripheral vision.

"Guys," Emily interrupted hastily, standing in between Mona and her three friends, who had completely blocked out their surroundings and were throwing jabs at Mona like she was a dart board. "Remember where we are. Don't you want to be a little more mature about this?"

"No," Hanna said blatantly as she narrowed her eyes at Mona behind Emily. "I'm done being mature. It's time we revealed Mona for who she really is."

"If you're revealing me, then maybe it's time I gave a revelation of my own!"

Emily's heart suddenly screeched to a standstill, and she felt like she could almost hear a record-scratching noise play out in her brain as she whipped around to face Mona, turning her back on the murmuring jury members and the confused looks on the girls' faces. "What does that mean?"

Mona unfolded her arms and put one down by her side while she placed the other on the desk behind her to support her weight. She gave off an apathetic look as she directed her attention to what looked like a piece of lint on her shoulder. Emily could feel her bones tense up as she waited for Mona to talk. What was she _doing?_

"Well, Lucas already admitted to working alongside me, so you know that whatever I did, I didn't do it alone," she said carefully, and Emily felt lightheaded all of a sudden as she slowly backed up, standing beside the girls.

"So, what are you saying?" Hanna prompted. "That you're ready to throw one of your cronies under the bus?"

"One crony," Mona corrected casually. "I only had one that was my equal, and the rest were under us."

"Why are you waiting until now to tell us this?" Spencer asked, her voice taut, and before Mona could do so much as shrug it off, a jingling of keys startled them all out of their trance, and the bailiff had come forward.

"This isn't part of procedure," he said sternly. "You really aren't supposed to be doing this."

"They'll wrap it up," Mrs. Hastings assured, before turning to the girls with a mix of firmness and desperation. "Right, girls?"

While Emily nodded her head, her mind telling her that this was the respectable thing to do, her heart was going in a completely different direction as she glowered at Mona. And from the what she could tell, it was the same for the other girls.

"Talk, Mona," Hanna said, seething. "Why haven't you mentioned working with someone else before?"

"Consider it a favor," Mona retorted coolly. "I don't think you'll want to know who this person is."

"You are not doing that," Spencer snapped, shaking her head in disapproval. "You are _not_ making it look like you're committing some holy deed by not telling us. Spit it out."

"Are you sure you want that?" Mona prompted, closing the curtain on her doe eyed character from before and starting to show her true colors. Her cruel, manipulative colors. And the worst part was that the jury probably _still_ didn't see her for who she really was.

It was Emily's turn to speak up now, neglecting her orders from before to break up this dispute. "If you were really telling the truth, you'd come clean right away."

Mona chewed on the inside of her cheek, considering this, and Emily found that she was subconsciously holding her breath as she waited for her response.

But what she said next took her breath right away.

"How truthful does a fresh-faced English teacher with an infatuation with _The Great Gatsby_ sound?"

The jury gasped, and Emily immediately turned to Aria, who at first looked confused, but her confusion then washed away to reveal anguish. "You are not..."

"I am," Mona said in what was a clear attempt at sounding remorseful, but Emily didn't detect a tinge of remorse in her tone. "Ezra Fitz is just as guilty as I am."

"You're lying," Spencer barked, coming forward, but Mona just let her shoulders sag dismissively.

"I wish I was," she said, "but it's true. Just ask him. If you throw me in jail by the end of this, you're going to have to throw him in with me."

Emily felt her limbs go numb, and when she turned to Aria, she looked even worse. Her expression changed as the information slowly started creeping up on her, engulfing her whole like an amoeba, and when she opened her mouth to say something, all that came out was a dry rasp. As Emily watched Aria toggle through which emotion to feel, she felt her body slowly start to shut down with sympathy for her friend.

But there was still hope. Mona could be lying... right?

Aria must've thought of this, because she turned around, facing the people in the pew from behind, who had all stood up by this point. "Ezra, aren't you going to say something?" Aria asked, her voice cracking.

By this point, Emily was able to get a good look at Ezra. His complexion was whiter than the walls behind him, and there was an obvious tremor to his hands. He looked like he wanted to argue, to say it wasn't true, but when Emily looked closer at him, she was able to pinpoint the guilt in his eyes.

Aria must've caught onto this, too, for when Ezra didn't speak a word, make a sound, she turned on her heel and marched out of the courtroom with her head ducked. Ezra's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he scrambled his way out of the pew through the row of people and started after her, and after Emily exchanged a panicked glance with Hanna and Spencer, they followed suit as well.

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><p><strong>Congrats to <span>missdallywinston<span> on her correct guess that yes, Ezra is Mona's accomplice :( Ezrians, please stick with me! Ezra explains himself next chapter, but be forewarned: Aria is _not_ gonna take this information well. Can your hearts handle it? Sound off in the reviews with your reactions!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry for taking forever to update, guys! I had two AP exams this week/another one in the middle of next week, so I've been studying pretty hard. But I know that based on what happened last chapter - and your FABULOUS reactions (thanks for the large amount of reviews, they made my day :)) - you're not going to want to listen to me talk/read my words, so let's just get to this next chapter, which takes place SECONDS after where we left off last chapter. Enjoy! And, of course, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

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><p>Spencer forced herself through the double doors of the courtroom, with Emily and Hanna on her tail, and once she was on the other side, she found herself nearly spinning in circles as she desperately tried to locate where Aria had gone.<p>

Fortunately, she didn't have to look for very long. Over at the far side of the lobby, she spotted a dark, petite silhouette in the same sky blue dress and pearls that Aria was wearing today. Unfortunately, when Spencer hastily made her way over, she got a better look at what Aria was doing. Her expression was infuriated, but as Spencer sped up, she saw that Aria was holding back tears. And once Spencer had fully come onto the scene, she realized why.

She was confronting Ezra.

Immediately, a wave of protective instincts washed over Spencer as she stood beside Aria. "What exactly is going on here?" she snarled at Ezra, who wore a wild-eyed complexion as he held his hands out in front of him in what Spencer guessed was an attempt to explain.

At Spencer's appearance, Ezra's features tightened. "Spencer, if you could let me have a conversation with my _wife_ in privacy, I'd appreciate it," he said shortly.

"Oh, so _now_ I'm your faithful wife?" Aria snapped, her voice quivering, yet her tone cold, so penetrating in its effect that even Spencer, who wasn't even the target of it, winced as it met her ears.

Ezra was at a loss for words, and as he thought about what he wanted to say, there was a clattering of heels against the hardwood, and when Spencer turned around, Hanna and Emily had come up, standing a few feet away from Ezra.

"God, you walk fast, Spencer," Hanna wheezed as she held her hand to her heart, catching her breath, but there was an undeniable ferocity in her eyes as she surveyed Ezra. Emily was no different; she had her arms crossed as she sank onto one hip, glowering at Ezra like he was the most pathetic thing.

Ezra glanced around at all of them. "This is between me and Aria," he said calmly.

Aria, however, didn't agree with this notion. "Anything you have to tell me, you can tell my friends," she spat, and Spencer nearly had whiplash at Aria's word choice. Her _friends_. If they weren't in the middle of such a high intensity situation, she would've been comforted by this. "Is what Mona said in there true or not?"

Ezra looked caught, like a fly in a spiderweb. He kept opening and closing his mouth, seemingly about to say something, yet not quite knowing _what_ to say. Spencer looked over at Aria, who looked like she would break if someone were to simply brush up against her - in a delicate, fragile sense, but also in the sense that she was like an arrow ready to be shot, a rubber band ready to be snapped, and her target was standing right in front of her, dressed in a tailored suit and looking like he had just been kicked in the stomach.

Finally, Ezra sighed. "Please just give me a chance to explain," he said warily, his voice gravely and tired, as though he knew the battle he was about to fight was a losing one.

"Let you explain?" Aria echoed viciously. "You're actually asking me to sit back and allow you to tell us your _reasoning_ for joining forces with Mona? For torturing us, stalking us, blackmailing us, all while you pretended you had _feelings for me?_"

Suddenly, Aria stopped, her face now ashen. "Oh my god," she whispered. "You don't love me, and you never did. Our entire marriage is a lie..."

"No!" Ezra jumped into defensive mode, advancing a step forward. "No, it's not like that - "

"Don't touch me!" Aria snapped, and Ezra quickly recoiled, his words smacking him across the face, while Aria put her hands up to her forehead. "I can't do this, I think I'm gonna throw up."

Spencer, who had been standing back this entire time, feeling helpless, shot a glance at Emily and Hanna, who were so enthralled by the scene before them that they could hardly even look at Spencer. Deciding to take action, Spencer gently touched Aria's shoulder. "You don't _have_ to do this right now," she said quietly. "Let's just go back inside."

"I can't go back in there." Aria's ferocity was now fading, and in its place was a somber, broken expression as a few tears leaked down her cheeks and her breathing became steadily more shallow, and Spencer began to wonder if Aria actually _was_ going to throw up. "Not now."

"Aria, please," Ezra pleaded as he stayed rooted to his spot, knowing better than to corner her now. "Please, I didn't mean for everything to happen like it did. I started off on the team with poor intentions, yes, but then you and I got closer, and... I never knew I was going to fall in love with you."

"Do _not_ play that card," Aria retorted bitingly, slapping her hands back down at her sides as Spencer quickly withdrew her hand. "When I think of us, I think of how I defended you to my family, I think of how everything we went through was _worth it_, but now after knowing _this_..."

"This doesn't change how I feel about you - "

"This changes _everything!_" Aria shouted, and Spencer just about leaped out of her skin as she turned toward the courtroom, but to her relief the doors were still closed. When she turned back, Aria was shaking with anger, with fear, with _disbelief_, and all Spencer wanted now was for Ezra to go away so that Spencer could hold Aria tighter than she ever had.

"I'm sorry," Ezra said, his tone filled with remorse as he bowed his head. "If I had known... I would've never gotten involved in the first place."

"So why did you get involved?" This question came from Hanna, whose sky blue eyes were gleaming with darkness and sympathy.

Ezra turned around, acknowledging Hanna's comment, but this time he didn't attempt to shoo her away. He answered it. "I knew Alison," he admitted, and Spencer felt her heart stop, but Ezra's speaking all but ceased as he rushed to tell his story. "We dated back when she was... when she was alive. She lied about her age, about who she was, about almost everything, and when I found out how dishonest she was, I tried to break it off. But then she threatened to screw me over, and I just began to realize how... _horrible_ she was. Yet somehow when she died, I didn't feel like I had gotten the vengeance I wanted with her, so when Mona found out about our relationship, she accosted me. She told me about what she was planning to do, and she knew how much money I had, so she asked if I could fund her plan, along with work beside her in pursuing it. She told me about the four of you, and how even though Alison was dead, taking out my anger on the four of you would... help. Kind of like therapy."

"So that's what I was to you?" Aria said in a voice several octaves lower than her own. "That's what I _am_ to you? _Therapy?_"

"I tried everything I could to make it up to you!" Ezra said desperately. "Every time Mona wanted to do something to you, I intervened. I did whatever I could to keep you safe, and I just didn't want to tell you because I _knew_ you wouldn't forgive me - "

"That's because I won't." Aria tilted her chin up as she cut him off, and Ezra looked taken aback. "I will never forgive you for what you've done."

"Aria, please - "

"No." She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "You betrayed me, you betrayed my friends, and most of all you betrayed Tom. I don't want you near him, and I _definitely_ don't want you near me."

Ezra blinked, his face crumbling. "What?"

"I want you out of my sight," she said slowly, simply, as if it was all just black and white, as easy as clapping the dust off of your hands and claiming your work was finished. "Go to my mom's apartment, pack up your things, and _leave_."

"But Aria - "

"I don't care when you do it," she said tearfully, on the verge of breaking down now as her trembling became even worse. "I just want you out. I don't want to _see_ you, I don't want to _hear_ from you. _Ever._"

"Aria - "

"Weren't you listening?" Emily interjected, and when Spencer turned to her, there was nothing short of loathing gracing her tanned features. "Aria wants you out, so get the hell _out of here._"

So many questions and emotions filled up Ezra's face as he processed the scene before him, but eventually, he must've decided there was nothing else he could say, for with that, he walked away, and with each step he took Spencer could see the pain on Aria's face worsen until he had left the building. Just like that, all of her anger started to fade away as all of her sadness started fighting its way to the surface.

Immediately after Ezra was out of sight, all of the girls crowded Aria, doing their hardest to comfort her. "Aria, I'm so sorry," Spencer said genuinely as she rubbed Aria's back, and Aria let out a thick sob in response.

"I don't believe this," she croaked through her tears. "He was using me to hurt all of you, and he went so far as to live this lie all these years, have a _child_ with me - "

"You don't have to tell Tom right away," Emily reasoned, giving Aria's hands a squeeze. "Give it time, wait until you're ready..."

"The last thing I want is for Tom to grow up without a father," Aria said softly, tears trickling down the frame of her face and dripping off of her chin onto her dress. "But I... I don't know if I can live like this, knowing he did this to me. I know it was a long time ago, but the fact that it took him this long to say something... how can I even trust him again?"

"You don't need to answer all of these questions right now," Hanna assured her. "Sleep on it, okay?"

Aria sniffled as she leaned into her friend for a hug, which Emily eventually joined. Spencer was about to join in as well, until something caught her attention.

Up ahead, the doors were opening to the courtroom, and a sea of people started to pour out, including the boys, Paige, and most importantly Spencer's mother and sister.

All of a sudden, a cloud of rage hovered over Spencer, and she found herself departing from the girls as she marched over to Melissa. "What the hell is happening?" she demanded. "Why is everyone leaving?"

"Day 3 of the trial is over," Melissa said with a halfhearted shrug. "Looks like the jury can't handle a little bit of emotional battering."

Spencer felt rings of smoke escape through her ears as she exploded at Melissa. "How can you even _say_ that? Do you realize what you've done? You ruined a _marriage_, Melissa, Aria and Ezra are now separated!"

Melissa scoffed. "Good. Serves that jackass right."

Spencer bristled, anger seeping out of her skin as though she were in a sauna and it were water. "Do you even _care_ about how Aria's feeling right now? You broke her heart, Melissa!"

"How? By telling her the _truth?_" Melissa shot back. "Would you rather she live the rest of her life a lie? And besides, why are you getting mad at me? Mona's the one who said it."

"The way I see it, you and Mona are one in the same," Spencer growled, glaring at Melissa with as much hate as she could muster. "You both have one goal in mind, and that's to see all of us suffer."

"No, the goal I have in mind is winning this _case_," Melissa corrected. "Wake up, Spencer. You have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. I don't care how I get there, and I don't care about who I have to _hurt_ to get there. For Mona's sake, she needs to win this case."

"_Mona's_ sake?" Spencer let out a dark laugh. "As though I care about Mona's well being."

"Oh, so it's okay for _you_ to be apathetic about someone else, but suddenly when I do it I'm the bad guy?"

"You don't need apathy to be the bad guy, Melissa, you're already the bad guy by defending someone who spent an entire year of my life tormenting me!" Spencer said exasperatedly.

"Both of you, _enough!_" Mrs. Hastings walked up, stepping in between the two sisters. "I'm sick and tired of seeing you two bicker like this."

"_Both_ of us?" Spencer repeated incredulously. "Mom, it's all her fault! Emily is accused falsely of murder, Aria's heart just got smashed, and she doesn't even care!"

"As I keep telling you, that's _law_, Spencer," Melissa articulated coercively. "Better you learn now from experience than when you're actually on a case and fall on your ass."

"I don't believe you," Spencer said venomously, while Melissa just smirked smugly, ready for whatever Spencer was about to throw at her. "Why are you being like this? Why are you ruining my _life?_"

"Don't be so dramatic," Melissa argued. "I'm doing the right thing."

"This is _not_ the right thing."

"Spencer, let it _go_," Mrs. Hastings said crossly, jumping in again. "Your sister is on this case, and you need to learn to accept that."

"There you go, _defending_ her again!" Spencer exclaimed, the two women before her suddenly becoming too much for her to handle. "For once, _just once_, can't you take my side? Can't you defend _me?_ Get mad at _Melissa?_"

Veronica looked like she wanted to say more, but her body eventually just ended up convulsing in one long, heaving sigh. "Spencer, there is a lot going on here that is out of your control, that you don't understand."

This was it. This was the last straw. Spencer didn't want to have to deal with this anymore. "True," she began carefully, "but there is one thing that I do have control over, and that's who my lawyer is."

Veronica looked startled. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Spencer narrowed her eyes, the best way she could think of for conveying the raw emotion she was feeling. "You're fired."

The words flew off of her tongue like a gun had been fired, and her mother looked as though she had been shot with the bullet.

"What?" Veronica's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Spencer!"

"You're off the case," Spencer said, her diatribe nowhere near over. "You haven't done a _single_ thing to help us since this trial started, and you're basically just _letting_ Mona win! And I'm _sick_ of it!"

"You're making a terrible mistake!" Veronica said, aghast, while Melissa just stood in the background, shaking her head in satisfaction, as well as patronization, probably thinking to herself how this was perfect for helping her skyrocket upward in her ranking as the favored child.

But Spencer didn't care. Right now, it didn't matter to her where she stood with her parents. What mattered was winning this case, and making sure Mona stayed in jail. "I certainly don't see it that way," she said simply, folding her arms against her chest.

"Oh my god." Now, Melissa looked different. Her pleasured expression from earlier had diminished, and in its place was a look of shock. "You're actually serious."

"Oh yeah," Spencer said, raising her eyebrows upward for emphasis. "I'm dead serious. I'm _done_."

"This is all a bit hasty, Spencer," her mother said carefully, approaching Spencer like she was a rabid dog, which only made Spencer angrier. "There are several factors you need to take into account. Like, who will be your lawyer now?"

Spencer hadn't quite put these pieces together, this was true. It was all on the spot, but she could figure out the little details later. She just wanted her mother out of her way, off of the case, as soon as possible, and she would go to whatever stakes she had to to achieve that.

Any stakes at all. Including...

"Well, that one's easy," she said pridefully. "_I'll_ be the new lawyer."

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><p><strong>Yep, stakes are high now. Ezra and Aria are separated, Mrs. Hastings is fired and Spencer is taking over (congrats to <span>Siretha Elaine<span> for guessing this plot point early on!), and there's still at least another 10 chapters left of this story, meaning there's still TONS more drama to come! If you want to indulge in this drama, get me 10 more reviews, and I'll update ;)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Jeez, you guys are on FIRE! You got me almost 20 reviews last chapter! Guess that's what happens when you anger a bunch of Ezrians ;) and something tells me you guys are going to be even more angry this chapter, because Aria breaks down. It's going to get emotional, so I'll just get to it!**

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><p>Aria stalked up the stairs to her mother's apartment, each step more trying than the previous step. Her heart felt heavy, and in result, so did her feet. Carrying herself up the stairs felt as though she were tied up by chains, refusing to permit her to walk forward any further.<p>

Somehow, she made it to the top, and gathered enough strength to weakly knock on the door. She had to wrap her arms around herself to restrain herself from breaking down. Not here. Not in the middle of the hallway.

Not in front of her son.

Aria held her breath, waiting for her mother to open the door. She didn't know how much longer she could hold it in. Any longer, and she'd burst into tears right on the spot. Already, she could feel some begging to escape her eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to. She couldn't. She had to be strong. For Tom, she had to be strong.

Soon, the lock clicked, and the door opened to reveal Ella at the doorway. Her mother stood before her, in a pair of sweats, toggling between looking surprised that her daughter was home so early, and then looking concerned toward why Aria was practically shaking from trying so hard to hold back her tears. But then she looked determined as she craned her head back. "Tom, can you go to your room, please?"

Aria peeked inside, and saw that Tom was on the floor in front of the couch, playing with his toy dinosaurs. Aria ducked her head, keeping herself from Tom's view. He couldn't see her like this.

"Who's at the door?" she heard him ask, and she felt her heart melt. All she wanted right now was to wrap her arms around her little boy, but she couldn't. She couldn't worry him. She couldn't let him think anything was wrong.

"No one you need to worry about, sweetheart," Ella answered. "Hurry along."

There was the scattering of footsteps across the carpet, and then the closing of a door, before Ella finally turned to Aria, a look of complete despair on her face, and with that, suddenly it was all too much for Aria. She made a sound that sounded a lot like a hiccup, and from there she couldn't stop. The tears started to leak from her eyes, and she could feel her knees getting read to buckle from under her.

"Oh, honey," Ella said sympathetically as she pulled Aria in for a hug, and Aria started violently sobbing into her mother's shoulder as Ella kept rubbing circles along her back. Aria wanted so badly to tell her mother what had happened, but she couldn't work her words correctly at all. She just kept crying as Ella disentangled herself from her daughter and led her into the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

"What happened?" she asked, astonished. "Why are you so upset?"

Aria sniffled as she sat down at the kitchen table, and Ella pulled up a chair beside her. When Aria didn't say anything, Ella tried again. "Aria, what's wrong?"

Aria opened her mouth to answer, but felt her throat physically lock. The more she tried to unlock it, the harder it was for her to breathe, and she ended up struggling for breath as more tears streamed down her face. This was not going well.

"Aria, breathe," Ella said soothingly as she stroked Aria's back, desperately trying to calm her down, while get information out of her at the same time. "It's going to be okay."

"No it's not," Aria said lowly once she had gotten her breath back, bowing her head as she did so. Ella retreated her hand, shocked, but then she turned toward the door, before turning back looking even more confused.

"Sweetie, where's Ezra?" she asked, and Aria just shook her head. Here it came...

"Gone," she said simply, her voice completely empty of emotion. When she looked up, Ella was staring blankly at her, clearly not picking up what she was putting down.

"Gone as in..."

"As in he won't be back," Aria answered harshly, but upon seeing her mother's hurt expression, she wanted to take it all back. She hated seeing the ones she loved in so much pain.

Pain. As in the pain the other three girls had to go through because of her. Because she had let Ezra in. Because she made it so _easy_ for him. Oh _god..._

Aria averted her gaze away from her mother's caring eyes, as she couldn't bare to see how broken she was about to look. "He was a part of it, mom."

"A part of what?"

"The group of _sick_ humans who tried to murder me and my friends," Aria spat as she looked her mother in the face again. Ella's face was a mixture of emotions. At first she looked wounded, but then she turned skeptical.

"Aria, how do you know this?" she said carefully. "Did Mona accuse him like she accused Emily?"

"That's what it sounded like at first," Aria said quietly, her voice trembling. "But... then he admitted to it."

She could feel her fists shaking with emotion; at first it was with misery, with terror, but now that she knew what had happened, now that she had accepted it to be _real_, she was angry.

Her husband had betrayed her, and she had let him. And to make matters worse, she _continued_ to let him. She let him sweep her off of her feet, she let herself become completely immersed in him and his share of love for vegan take-out and Hemingway, and worst of all, she let him marry her.

Her entire marriage was a lie. Her son was a result of love that wasn't pure.

_Don't think like that,_ she said, shaking her thoughts free from her mind as she put her head in her hands. _Never think that way about Tom._

But she couldn't help it. She was so angry, so saddened, and so hurt from what had happened that she hardly knew where she was or _who_ she was anymore. Nothing made sense.

"Aria," Ella said tenderly, stroking Aria's hair, and Aria finally looked up to her mother, waiting for her to speak. She could use her mother's wisdom right now, if anything.

But Ella wouldn't say anything. She opened her mouth, but then closed it like a fish, words suddenly leaving her. Aria stared at her quizzically, but that soon turned to desperation. "Mom, please say something."

Ella held her brown eyed gaze with Aria's hazel eyes, but soon pulled her hand back from Aria's hair as she stood up from the table. "I guess I'm having trouble figuring out what _to_ say," she said morosely. "I want to kick his ass for doing this to you, but something tells me that's not what you want."

Aria sighed as she leaned back in her chair, carelessly wiping tears that kept falling down her now puffy cheeks. "I don't know what I want," she whispered. "I... I _should_ want to get back at him, but at the same time I don't want to hurt him. But he hurt me, so why is it so damn hard for me to move on by doing the same to him?"

"Because you love him," Ella said reasonably, with compassion behind her tone as she leaned against the front door. "It's hard for you to get past that."

"But I _shouldn't_ love him," Aria said frustratedly, gripping the edges of the table so hard that she could feel the blood pulsing through her knuckles. "So why do I still?"

Ella pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to take this all in. "It takes a while for these kinds of things to heal," she said softly through her hands. "But you shouldn't feel upset about still having feelings for him."

"And why not?" Aria asked, her voice getting louder now. Here came the anger. "Why shouldn't I be upset? Mom, do you know how long he kept this from me? _Ten years!_ In those ten years, I left Rosewood and all of my PTSD behind, and lo and behold, it was _with_ me that entire time!"

"Aria - "

"He was the one to comfort me through all of my nightmares," Aria continued, disgust clear in her tone as she spoke gruffly. "He was at my side through every single panic attack, he would wipe every single tear, and during that time he never even said a _thing!_ What would it give for at least _one person_ to be goddamn _truthful_ for once!"

"_Aria - _"

But Aria wasn't finished. Now she was getting even more riled up, and her voice was getting shriller and shriller. "And you and dad _warned_ me, too. You _all_ warned me not to get into a relationship with an older man. You said it was wrong, you said it wasn't appropriate, you said he'd take advantage of me, but I refused to believe you! Because he was the first person to treat me like an _adult!_"

"Aria, listen to me - "

"That's the point!" Aria cried. "I _didn't_ listen to you the first time, and look what's happened!" She threw her arms up, as if to motion toward everything that was wrong in her life, in _all_ of their lives. "This trial, Emily's murder accusation, _none_ of this would be happening if I wasn't so stupid. He lured me in all those years ago, and I just sat back and _let_ him. I caused my friends a world of damage because I had to give in. I caused you and _dad_ a world of damage; I ended your marriage for god's sake!"

"Aria, keep your voice down," Ella begged. "Your four year old son is back there, he's going to hear you!"

Suddenly, Aria stopped. She felt her heart rate start to slow down, and with that she stood up from the table as Ella's words clawed their way into her mind. She didn't want Tom to hear.

But she was too late.

The door to the bedroom creaked open, and out walked the hazel eyed boy in question. Aria felt her heart stop when she saw his face crumble at the sight of her crying.

"Momma, what's wrong?" he asked as he came running up to her. Aria hastily wiped her tears as she kneeled down on the ground.

"Nothing's wrong, Tom," she lied. "Mommy's fine."

"Why are you crying?" he asked, crestfallen, not believing her. "What happened?"

"Baby, please go back into your room," Aria pleaded as more tears started flooding her eyes. "Please."

Tom looked completely broken, completely sad, and Aria knew he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, just like she wanted the same for him, but finally he nodded his head. She sighed in relief as she pulled him in for a hug, but once he ran back in and closed the door, all of her relief was gone. She rose to her feet, only to plop back down on the couch as she started crying again. She felt the weight shift in the cushion, and when she looked up, her mother was sitting next to her, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"You know he has to know eventually, right?" she said seriously, and Aria weakly nodded her head. She knew Tom had to know, but she had to keep it from him for as long as she could.

"I love him so much, mom," she said tearfully. "I just want to protect him from all of this."

Ella smiled gloomily as she pulled her daughter in close, resting Aria's head on her shoulder. "How do you think I felt when I found out about what your father had done?"

Aria widened her eyes, but didn't move her head from her mom's shoulder. "Really?"

"I suppose this situation might be a little different," Ella said dryly, clearly trying to bring levity to the situation, "but all I kept thinking was how I wanted to protect you and Mike. I just wanted to take the pain away, to make it easier on both of you."

Aria snuggled further into her mother's embrace. "I'm sorry about all of that."

At this, Ella just scoffed. "Why should you be sorry?" she said. "We're both perfectly happy on our own, just as we were happy with each other. But that chapter of my life is over, and I'm happy moving on to a different chapter."

Aria nodded her head as she thought about this. In a way, her mother's situation wasn't terribly different from her own. Her father had hurt her, just like Ezra had hurt her, but her mother had moved on. But it had taken a while. It had taken a lot of struggling, a lot of complications, and a lot of pain, yet she had finally gotten to where she was now.

And Aria badly wanted to be where her mother was now.

"I knew this trial was a bad idea," Ella said defeatedly. "I don't want you going back to it. It's too much for you."

"Mom, I have to go back," Aria argued, starting to sit up now. "The girls need me there to beat Mona!"

"But if it weren't for Mona, none of this would've happened!" Ella said, on the defensive, yet speaking in a quiet tone, something Aria recognized as an attempt to not work her up even further.

Aria scooted right by this attempt, though. "Mona didn't do anything wrong in this case," she whispered as the realization came to her. "She just revealed that I'd been living in a lie for the past ten years."

Ella sighed as she took her daughter's hands in hers. "I don't want you to have to think like that," she said apologetically, and Aria knew this was all killing her, too. "And I certainly don't want you to think that this is your fault in any way. Ezra might have hurt you, but things can still be okay."

"How?" Aria asked desperately, her voice now hoarse from crying so much. Ella sighed forlornly as she reached over to wipe a tear from Aria's cheek in a motherly way.

"You still have me," she offered up with a smile. "And I don't care how many times you have to tell me how you're a grown woman now. You're always going to be my baby girl, and I'm always going to love you."

Aria let out a small laugh through her tears, feeling comforted by her mother's words as she wrapped her arms around her. "I love you, too, Mom. And I needed this."

Just then, a knock was heard at the door, and both Aria and Ella jumped. Aria turned to her mother, suddenly frightened. "What if that's Ezra?"

"Do you want me to get it?" her mother offered up, but suddenly Aria had gained enough strength to deny this.

"No," she said simply. "I... I should be the one to tell him to pack up his stuff."

Ella widened her eyes. "Are you serious?"

"We can't stay together after this, Mom," she said brokenly. "There's... there's no way."

"Aria, think about what you're doing," Ella warned. "There are a lot of factors that will be going into this. Think about Tom, think about your apartment in New York - "

"I'll be able to think about all of that as long as he's out of my way while I'm doing it," Aria said dismissively, and Ella sighed. Aria knew she had won this battle when her mother gently kissed her on the side of the head, whispering a promise to not let anything else hurt her, but also silently permitting her to do what had to be done. Aria, touched by this exchange, gave her mother's shoulder a tight squeeze as she rose to answer the door, wiping her face nearly clean as she did so.

But when she turned the knob and pulled the door open, she was met with a sight she was not expecting.

"Hey, stranger," Spencer said amicably, concern and care in her auburn eyes as she pulled her khaki trenchcoat tighter around her slim frame. "Care to take a walk?"

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><p><strong>AriaElla, Aria/Tom, AND Sparia? Yeah, I went a little crazy. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I hope it effectively shattered your hearts, AND I hope to see you next chapter! Please be so kind to leave a lovely review! I have a lot of rehearsals this week for the play I'm in, so I don't know when I can update, but if you review a bunch I'll probably update faster ;)**


	24. Chapter 24

**I know, I know, it's been god knows HOW long since I've updated, and I'm very sorry for that. I have so much stuff coming up at the end of the year for theatre and choir, so I've been busting my ass and have had to stay late after school for several days in a row. BUT lucky for you guys, I'm smart enough to upload upcoming chapters to my phone so I can update from school ;) since it's been forever, you most likely don't want to sit around and read my words; you want to read the story! So I'll let you get to it, and with Hannily no less. Enjoy!**

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><p>Emily opened the car door and reached over to unbuckle Blake, and once she had scooped him up and set him on the ground, he went wild. Once his feet met with the crisp chips of mulch surrounding him, he charged his way over to the nearest jungle gym, screaming happily like a banshee.<p>

Emily sighed as she ran after him. "Blake! Come back!"

Eventually, she managed to catch up to him before he hurt himself, and before he could start climbing the ladder up to the monkey bars on the red, shiny metal instrument, she swooped him up into his arms. While she held onto the squirming toddler, she heard tires screech on the concrete beside the playground, and when she looked over, Hanna was pulling up with Audrey in the back seat.

Emily smiled as she walked up to the curb, where Hanna was now pulling Audrey out of her car seat. Once Audrey had two z-strap footed feet on the ground, she looked up at Emily and grinned with her brightest smile, her blue eyes shimmering. "Hi auntie Emily!"

"Hi, sweetie," Emily said warmly as she crouched down to the ground, setting Blake next to the blonde haired beauty. "You two can go play, but don't leave our site, okay? Only stay in this area."

Blake nodded his head obediently, and Audrey nodded along as Hanna knelt next to her. "Be good, okay?"

Audrey rolled her eyes, as though she'd heard this one too many times. "Aren't I _always_?"

Emily giggled at this, never getting tired of Audrey's wide sense of humor. "If you're anything like your mother, I don't know how much I believe that."

Hanna playfully swatted Emily while Audrey giggled, and before either girl knew it, Audrey and Blake were running wild, climbing on everything they could, while Emily and Hanna sat back on their knees and watched.

Emily then averted her eyes over to Hanna, who was wearing a scarf and a beige peacoat over a pair of jeans to keep warm in the chilly weather. Emily was used to feeling less than glamorous whenever she stood next to Hanna, but somehow ten years without that feeling from made it more surprising as she stood by Hanna right now.

Sighing, Emily stood up from the ground as she plunged her hands into the pockets of her dark, fuzzy fleece, and once Hanna was standing, too, the two girls made their way over to the bench to talk as they watched over their kids.

"Where's Collin?" Hanna asked as she sat down first, her gaze on Blake picking up a twig by himself without his usual partner in crime.

Emily joined her on the bench as she explained himself. "It's hard enough for Paige and me to handle the twins together, so if it were only one of us with both of them, all hell would break loose. So Blake is with me, and Collin is with Paige."

Hanna's eyebrows knitted together as she thought about this. "How come they didn't come, too?" she asked. "Everything okay between you and Paige?"

Emily was surprised by this question. "Yeah, everything's fine," she answered almost immediately.

But there wasn't even a hint of truth to that. Emily hated having Paige see her the way she was at the moment, but Paige had been incredibly supportive the entire time, and for that she was forever grateful. But at the same time, she didn't feel like she was paying her end of the bargain; Emily had been trying so hard to regroup with her friends and to make sure everyone was happy again, despite the circumstances, that she had hardly been paying attention to Paige the entire time. Paige had been by her side 24/7, and all Emily had been doing was turning the other cheek. She had turned away Paige's kiss in court, she had caused Paige to sit through an hour of accusations that brought up her past affections for her dead best friend, she had interrupted their dinner at the Grill to talk to Hanna, she was constantly running away from home because there was so much going on in her brain that she didn't want to let her wife, of all people, in on, and yet somehow Paige had simply taken it all, never for a second blaming Emily for feeling this way.

Until now.

Paige and Emily had gotten in a fight after today's trial. Emily was shaken after what had happened with Aria and Ezra, and when Paige had tried to comfort her, Emily had pushed her away _again_, to the point that neither wanted to be in the room with the other, so they had each taken a twin and gone their separate ways.

If anything, Emily only wanted to give Paige a break from navigating the forklift through all of her emotional debris, but she knew she was only creating more unwanted distance between her and Paige. But at least while going through this emotional turmoil, she could spend time with Hanna.

Which, while she didn't immediately want to admit, she was incredibly happy about.

"Collin just wasn't in the mood to come," she lied, and Hanna nodded her head, seemingly satisfied with this answer, as she continued to watch Audrey and Blake play, making sure none of them got hurt.

For a while, neither girl spoke, and both knew that while it was partly because they were keeping such an intense eye on their kids, there was another part of Emily that was certain that it was because they didn't have anything to say. Any conversation would most definitely lead to the trial, and after the exhausting day - hell, _six_ days, starting with the minute they had even gotten word that Mona was going on trial - they had both had, it was obviously the last thing they wanted to bring up.

Or maybe that was just how Emily felt, because after five minutes had passed of watching Audrey and Blake play tag, Hanna turned in her seat and faced Emily with an exasperated huff. "Okay, you didn't seriously think we can go this entire time without _one_ of us bringing it up, do you?" she pointed out bluntly.

Emily jolted in her seat, more surprised than usual by Hanna's lack of tact, but after a minute of contemplating she slumped in her seat defeatedly. "No, I guess didn't," she admitted.

More silence followed as a gust of wind shattered the mostly serene atmosphere, trees rustling in its presence. Emily was always amazed at how easily the silence between her and her friends could be filled, but that was only because before, it didn't need to be filled. In high school, their conversations were always filled with lively banter about whatever was going on in their lives. It could have been about a lead on a clue toward figuring out who A was, it could have been a key event that someone had told them about Alison's past, or it could've been something as simple as Spencer complaining about studying for a history test that she was obviously going to ace anyway, Aria freaking out over the ending of a book she had read, Emily inviting them to an upcoming swim meet, or Hanna filling in the spaces with a witty one-liner about their outfits, her less-than-passing school marks, and anything in between.

But now, instead of those pleasant tangents flying through the air, there was nothing but a few changing leaves falling between them, and Emily didn't think it was something she'd ever be able to get used to.

Finally, Emily spoke again, deciding to carry on. "It doesn't look like we're going to win this."

Hanna jerked her head toward Emily, eyes wider than saucers, even though Emily could easily pinpoint the agreement in them. Eventually, Hanna gave into this as her features softened. She ducked her head as she clacked the heels of her boots together, keeping her attention on them. "You're not the only one who thinks that," she said solemnly, and Emily inched forward on her seat.

"So you agree?"

"I didn't say that," she said as she shook her head, blonde locks flying into her face. "But... I was reading the _Rosewood Connection_ this morning, and we're all over the front page."

Emily's heart sank. The minute she saw those reporters' fingers flying in court, she knew that could only mean that everyone in town would be reading up on the trial. She was used to the press following her because of her Olympic training, but the ones who came to the swimming pool were always a hell of a lot nicer than the pariahs in Rosewood. They were relentless back when she was in high school, never once leaving her or her friends alone when it came to a juicy bit of information about Alison's murder case, and it was obvious they hadn't grown out of their horrible tactics.

"Dammit," she whispered to herself as she put her head in her hands. "They all think I'm a killer, don't they?"

"They try to keep their opinion quiet," Hanna countered, in an attempt to be optimistic, but Emily didn't need to look at her to know that they all thought the same thing: that Mona was innocent, and had the trial in the bag, and Emily was going to take her place behind bars.

Before Emily could enter her own thoughts, she felt a hand on her shoulder, calmly rubbing her back muscles. "Em, you can't let this get to you," Hanna said sweetly, her voice just the right amount of soothing that Emily needed. "Even if something like that does happen, we'll find a way to get you out of it."

Emily wanted to argue that this didn't seem like a plausible option at the moment, but she didn't. She simply lifted her hand and placed it on Hanna's hand that was still on her shoulder, not wanting her to take it off. It felt too good, and god knew she missed having the comfort of her best friend.

Or at least _old_ best friend. At this point, she didn't even know what their status was. All four of them had certainly gotten closer over the past three days, but whether they were back to the way they were in high school still remained a mystery. At the beginning of all of this, Emily figured any interaction after the trial was over was a long shot, but maybe it didn't have to be. Maybe things really _could_ work out between the four of them.

"What are you thinking, Em?" Hanna asked, giving her hand a squeeze, and Emily sighed as she tried collecting her thoughts, coming up with an answer.

"About us," she admitted. "You, me, Aria and Spencer."

Hanna's eyes clouded over at the mention of the other two girls, and to Emily's dismay, she removed her hand from her shoulder. "God, it must be so awful for both of them," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Spencer's family is practically made of roaches, and Aria just found out the love of her life never even loved her in the first place."

Emily winced. When Hanna put it like that, their whole situation sounded even worse than it actually was. "Do you think Aria and Ezra will work things out?"

Hanna's eyebrows nearly skyrocketed up to her hairline. "You actually want them to?"

"No, of course not," Emily agreed. As much as she hated to see Aria's heart broken, the last thing she wanted was for Aria to go back to Ezra after finding out what he'd done. She deserved so much better. "I just don't want to see her get hurt."

Hanna chewed on the inside of her cheek as she processed Emily's words, and then eventually nodded her head in understanding. "But she'll get even more hurt if they get back together. You can't mend a relationship that broken. But Aria's strong, she'll get through this, and even if she doesn't, that's what we're here for."

Emily felt her posture stiffen as she reacted more strongly than she expected to at Hanna's last words. "We are?"

Hanna averted her eyes downward, focusing on an army of ants that was marching through the mulch as she avoided the question Emily had brought up. After thirty seconds had passed, and the ants were well on their way to the other side of the playground, Hanna brought her attention back to Emily. "Yeah, of course," she said sincerely. "We're going to help her get through this, the same way we're helping you get through this. We're here for each other."

Emily was speechless. Hanna's current attitude was such a dynamic shift from her attitude three days ago that she was considering tugging at the corners of Hanna's face to see if she was wearing a mask and if it wasn't really Hanna before her. But Emily reminded herself that Hanna wasn't committing to anything, so the shift wasn't that drastic, but of course that led to a greater question on Emily's mind that she couldn't help but let slip past her lips.

"And then what?" she blurted out. "What comes after that?"

Hanna looked startled by Emily's question, and Emily immediately wished she could take it back. But before she could make a move to, Hanna leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she gave her answer.

"I've been thinking a lot about our talk the other night, and you're right. We don't know what's going to happen after this whole thing ends... _if_ this whole things ends," she added with a nervous laugh. "But... we've learned now, and we can at least try to make things better this time around. Right?"

Once again, Emily was speechless, but somewhere along the way she managed to find a way to express her feelings. She let the corners of her lips creep up into a warm smile as she patted Hanna's knee. "Right," she said proudly, and Hanna took this cue to lean her head on Emily's shoulder. Emily welcomed the gesture, and reached her hand onto Hanna's head to gently stroke her hair.

"I'm really glad you're here, Emily," Hanna said softly as she continued to breathe in and out with deep breaths, and Emily rested her head to Hanna's as she watched while the kids happily played, not a care in the world. Normally, Emily would wish she could be as cheerful and insouciant, but right here, at this very moment, with Hanna by her side, she felt like she was pretty close.

"I'm glad you're here, too, Han."

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><p><strong>Aren't they just the sweetest? Next chapter, you're gonna get some SPARIA, but it's not gonna be like this; it's gonna be a bit more intense. Next chapter is what I like to call an inside-out Sour Patch Kid: they're gonna start off sweet, but then shit hits the fan quickly. You'll see! Get me 10 more reviews, and you'll get to see even faster :)<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

**Wow, you all are FAST! Thanks for the lovely reviews, everyone, you got me 10 within 24 hours. My goal is to have at least 400 by the end of this story, and we have about 7 chapters (*sob*) left, so if you guys could get me up there, that'd be amazing. I don't have a lot of time, so I'll keep this short and let you all get to your Sparia! :)**

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><p>Spencer walked in line with Aria, trying to distract herself by making sure their footsteps were in sync - right foot, then left foot. Right foot, then left foot. It was something so small, but by this point Spencer needed small things to put herself at ease. As soon as the trial had ended, she had picked up Aiden and Elijah from a confused Ella - Spencer must've gotten there before either Aria or Ezra did, because Ella seemed oblivious to what had went down with her daughter at the trial, and Spencer did not want to be the one to tell her - then rushed home, packed up all of her things, and moved herself, Toby, and her two kids into a nearby hotel. Once they had gotten settled, Spencer had gotten cracking on the case, trying her hardest to map out as much evidence and facts as she could to take Mona down. But she figured she could use a break, as could Aria, so she invited Aria to take a walk with her so that they could both clear their heads.<p>

It was starting to get dark, so there were some people on the streets, talking in a lively fashion as they walked up to whatever eating establishment was open - there were only about three options, so that wasn't a hard decision to make - or getting their wallets out to pay for a movie ticket for whichever film was playing.

Come to think of it, that was about all there was to do in Rosewood. After living in D.C. for so many years, Spencer had forgotten how restricted she had been in such a small cushy town. No wonder she had spent so many nights dining in Toby's apartment instead of at an actual restaurant. Of course, that could have to do with her confidence in being a better cook than whoever worked at those restaurants, but still.

As though she could read Spencer's mind, Aria looked up at Spencer. "You'd think it would have changed for as long as we've been away," she said softly, as though she could hardly find the energy to say anything more. It was enough to break Spencer's heart; she could barely comprehend what Aria was going through, finding out her husband had betrayed her on such a large scale, and having to balance dealing with him and trying to take care of Tom was going to be a difficult task, and she was starting to wonder if it was a bad idea taking Aria into town, reminding her of all of when she and Ezra were first dating and everything was good.

"Yeah, you'd think," Spencer agreed, eying the movie theatre on the other side of the street, where a group of teenagers were excitedly chattering as they held their tickets proudly and entered through the doors. Then, suspicious, Spencer turned back to Aria. "You know, we would always have movie nights when we were younger, but we hardly ever went to the movie theatre."

Aria cocked an eyebrow up to her hairline. "That's because you all would just raid my house with DVDs from a Redbox."

Spencer let out an eased laugh at this. Good, she had gotten Aria to crack a joke. Now she just had to see how long she could keep this up for. "Well," she added onto this, "your house had the coziest living room! Warm fireplace, soft couches..."

Aria joined Spencer in on reminiscing, and giggled as well. "Those were some good times," she said nostalgically. "All I remember is Emily and I could never agree on whether to watch a noir film or a horror film."

"Don't forget me!" Spencer piped in, acting mock offended. "I always tried to get you guys in on my Agatha Christie collection!"

"I think we had _enough_ complicated mysteries in our life by that point," Aria pointed out cynically as she looked down, letting the sole of her boot - Spencer had given her time to change out of her dress and into something more comfortable - crunch a leaf misplaced on the pavement.

"All the more reason to watch them," Spencer said with a shrug. "How else were we going to educate ourselves on the toils of sleuthing?"

Aria just shook her head, an amused smile on her face, which Spencer considered an even greater success. But then she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Wait, where was Hanna during all of this?"

"Where do you think?" Spencer said dryly. "By that point, the three of us were in such a heated debate that Hanna would just pop a romantic comedy in and wait for us to notice."

Aria snapped her fingers in recollection. "That's exactly what she did!" she said, her mouth agape. "She would even eat all of the popcorn!"

Spencer chuckled at this as she kept a steady pace down the sidewalk, taking in the familiar sites of Rosewood that she had hardly even glanced at when she was still living there. "So... have you been to your house since you came back?"

The cheerful look that temporarily occupied Aria's face melted away to reveal a look of solemnity. "No... I haven't really talked to my dad since Ezra and I got married, so I don't know if it'd be appropriate for me to just show up at his doorstep."

Spencer bit her lip so hard that she wasn't surprised when the familiar coppery taste of blood met her taste buds. That was not the way she was hoping to steer the conversation.

Aria didn't acknowledge this. She just kept walking along, looking up at the stars, the trees, any form of nature that could provide a reasonable distraction for her. "I guess maybe it would be a good time to start up a conversation with him again, right?" she said offhandedly, the words falling from her mouth like a stone being flinged off of a cliff. But as stones do when in free fall, constantly knocking into other stones and prompting them into free fall as well, Aria's words prompted further jibbering from her in what Spencer guessed was an attempt to lift her own spirits. "I mean, he is my dad, after all. And I do miss my old house..."

Spencer let the corners of her lips raise as she watched Aria process this all in her head, trying to optimize the situation. "It was a nice house. Very 'you'."

Aria let out a scoff at this. "That house has seen every single phase of me that I can possibly think of. Even my tree climbing phase."

Spencer snorted at this, laughter pouring out of her like lava. "You climbed trees?!"

"I think it was before we even met!" Aria went on, joining Spencer in her laughter. "I was maybe... seven? Whatever my age, I would always climb trees so that I could read alone."

Now it was Spencer's turn to smile in amusement. That was _so_ classic Aria, climbing trees to read by herself. But when Aria saw this expression, she became defensive. "Well, don't look at me like that! My dad would always try to spoil the endings for me and tell me what the symbolism of it all meant, and I just didn't want to hear it, so I would climb the trees in my backyard to get away from him."

"And he never found you?" Spencer asked incredulously, only to earn a coy grin from Aria.

"That might be the one time I've actually been _happy_ with being so small," she admitted, but before Spencer had a chance to react to this, Aria's eyesight wandered across the street, and when Spencer turned around, she realized they had wandered all the way over to the Brew, where Emily used to serve coffee and where they all used to go to hang out.

"What do you think of when you think of Rosewood, Spence?" Aria asked quietly, and Spencer took her question to heart. She thought of a lot of things. As they passed numerous buildings and the concrete path before them became less illuminated as the sky began to darken, Spencer saw some that she recognized from her childhood. She saw the ratty old community center where her father had signed her up for SAT tutoring by 4th grade. She saw a small, pale gray house on the corner as they rounded the block that belonged to her old piano teacher of five years. And as they continued down the sidewalk, the shopping center came into view, and she spotted the window that belonged to the establishment of the tailor that her mother used to take her to so she could get all of her clothes fitted for outings at the country club.

They were all such small parts of her life, but reflecting on the more trivial memories made Spencer come to realize how they had all come to impact her overall. She had been so hasty to leave Rosewood all her life, but she felt like if she had lived anywhere else, she wouldn't have shaped into the person that she was today. She wouldn't have met Toby, she wouldn't have had two beautiful children to call her own, and she wouldn't have had the wonderful friendship with the other three girls to look back on.

Realizing she still had yet to give an answer, Spencer finally swallowed loudly and opened her mouth to speak. "I think of how I should've appreciated it more," she admitted sadly, bowing her head as the wind picked up and the leaves on the trees rustled to the side of her. "And... I should've appreciated all of you more."

When she looked back up, Aria had tears in her doe eyes. "I'm really glad you said that," she said, clearly trying her hardest not to get too choked up. "I might not have Ezra anymore, but I'm just happy that I have all of you."

Spencer didn't even hesitate to wrap her arms around Aria's little frame, rubbing calming circles along her back and soothingly whispering into her ear that it was okay to cry, and Aria silently complied as she cried into Spencer's shoulder.

As Spencer comforted Aria, she couldn't help but notice an underlying feeling of nausea in the pit of her stomach, and when she finally pulled away from Aria and tenderly wiped a tear that had fallen from her eyes, she realized it was because of the secret she was keeping from her.

She had already nearly lost Aria's trust by keeping one secret, and that was a mistake she wasn't going to make again.

"I need to tell you something, but I think you should sit down for it," Spencer said abruptly, her thumbs still resting on Aria's face and the words rolling off of her tongue at a lightning pace. Aria rubbed her eyes and blinked, caught off guard, but eventually nodded her head and let Spencer lead her to the nearest bench.

Spencer circled around to the other side of the bench and sat down next to Aria, taking Aria's hands in hers. She couldn't help but realize this was the most intimate contact they'd had in ten years, and she hadn't realized how much that upset her until this very moment.

"The reason we have been losing this case is because of poor guidance," Spencer began carefully. "And poor prosecution. So, today I made an executive decision - "

"Executive decision?" Aria repeated, with perplexion in her tone. Spencer bristled, taken aback by being interrupted. She understood that Aria's heart had been beaten to butter tonight, but she needed to get the words she was about to say out of her system.

Apparently Aria didn't understand that, because she kept going. "Spencer, we're not a conference meeting of co-workers, we're your friends. Don't you think any decision you make should be unanimous?"

"You'll agree with this one, though," Spencer said convincingly. "I took my mom off the case."

"_What?_"

Upon hearing Aria's reaction, Spencer immediately wished she wasn't so abrupt with her words, but it was too late. Aria shot up from her position on the bench like a rocket, hastily wiping her tears from her cheeks.

"Spencer, why didn't you consult with us first?!" Aria exclaimed, her cheeks reddening with fury. "Your mother was our _only hope _at winning this case, how could you _fire _her?"

"Are you _mental?_" Spencer snapped as she stood up, too, gaining the energy to fire back. "My mother was holding us back because she didn't want to have to go against Melissa! Mona and Melissa are winning this trial _unfairly_, and there's no way we can expose that as long as my mom's on the case."

"There's no way we can expose that in _general_, Spencer!" Aria argued. "No matter which way we go about this, Mona is going to win. Because she's _Mona_, and she always has a plan, and she's going to go through with that plan whether your mother is defending us or not."

"Don't say that," Spencer pleaded. "I know you're blinded by a broken heart right now - "

"That is _not_ why I am against this," Aria snapped defensively. "I would be against this decision with or without Ezra. We were already losing _with_ an attorney, but now that we're without one, this is going to be the straw that broke the camel's back!"

"No it won't," Spencer said stubbornly, sticking her chin out and straightening her posture. Here it came. "You're not listening. We're not going to be without an attorney. I'm going to defend us."

Suddenly, Aria's anger diminished, and the flush to her cheeks softened, making them look pale and sunken when paired with the red rims of her eyes from crying so much. She looked just as sad as she did before, but now with an addendum of exhausted. "Spencer..." she began wearily, but Spencer interrupted her.

"Just hear me out, okay?" Spencer interjected. "I know it's sounds rushed, but I can make it work! I went to law school, I'm surrounded by lawyers every day at the law firm I work at. I've been surrounded by lawyers since I was _born!_ I know what I'm doing, I promise you!"

"No, you just _think_ you know what you're doing," Aria said as she put a hand up to her forehead tiredly. Spencer could feel a vein in her forehead pulsing madly. Why couldn't Aria see? Why couldn't _anyone_ see? She could help them win, she knew she could!

"Aria, we can't just sit around and let Melissa and Mona end up on top," she said in a low voice, hoping she could get to Aria better this way. "We have to take action, and we weren't getting _anywhere_ with my mother in charge, but we might be able to if I take on her role! I've already gotten started collecting evidence, and I'll have a convincing argument for tomorrow, I know I will!"

"But that's the thing, Spencer!" Aria said once she removed her head from her hands. "We thought being physically and mentally tortured was a convincing argument enough, but apparently the simple excuse that Mona was a confused teenager who wasn't working _alone_ is enough to get the jury on her side. What makes you think anything else we say will change that?"

"I have a few ideas - "

"But they're not going to _work!_" Aria finally exclaimed, throwing her arms out to the side of her and staring at Spencer with as much exasperation as she could possibly convey. "The odds just aren't on our side, Spencer! Emily's up for murder charges, Mona and Melissa have managed to emotionally manipulate just about everyone in the courtroom, and my _husband_ has been on their side all along and is probably going to jail once this is all over, too. No matter what _ideas_ you might have, it's not going to be enough."

"Why won't you believe in me?" Spencer asked, with a hint of desperation, but also disbelief. "You were always the one to give me the benefit of the doubt in high school. What happened?"

"_I grew up!_" Aria spat. "I dug inside my head, found my _brain_, and started deconstructing things with my _mind_ instead of my heart, something I _should've_ been doing all along and something _you_ should start doing, too!"

"Well, I don't like this new Aria," Spencer said crossly as she folded her arms against her chest. "I miss the Aria that actually let someone else take the reins and listened to her friends' suggestions."

Aria flinched, these words obviously striking the heart, but she quickly recovered. "A lot can change in ten years," she said icily, and now it was Spencer's turn to flinch. How long was this going to go on? This stroll had started as a way for Spencer to help Aria feel better, and now they were throwing jabs at each other like monkeys throwing bananas.

Spencer took a few deep breaths and counted to five, allowing herself a brief moment to calm down. "I don't expect you to agree with me," she said mellowly, "but I've made up my mind, and I'll prove to you all that I'm right."

Aria shook her head. "I don't care if your mind is made up or not," she said, her voice now steadily rising in volume as though she were reaching a climax in a story she was telling. "This is classic Spencer standing in front of me, letting competition get to her and getting herself into bad situations because she believes she's right. Well, you're _not_ always right, Spencer, and you need to take a minute to realize that Mona is _smarter_ than you are!"

Spencer's heart stopped, and she felt her jaw drop to the ground in front of her. A river of tears pooled up in her eyes, getting ready to pour down her cheeks. Aria must've realized that she had taken it too far, because her ferocity from earlier vanished completely and her features eased slightly. "Spencer, I didn't - "

But Spencer wasn't listening. She impulsively turned on her heel and ran away. Far, far away from Aria. So far away, that she could no longer see Aria when she looked back. She couldn't even hear Aria sobbing behind her.

She was too busy listening to the sound of her own cries.

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><p><strong>Yep, that was not pretty. But you all wanted Sparia, so I'm here to deliver ;) and next chapter is no better; I've got some Haleb drama coming your way, so hopefully you all can handle it. Same rules as last time apply: 10 reviews, and you'll get your chapter! See you all next time! :)<strong>


	26. Chapter 26

**See how quickly I can update when you all review? ;) Thank you all so much, we're gonna be done with this story pretty quickly at this rate. And while I will miss it so, and all of you, I'm excited because this means I can get some of my other stuff out there pretty quickly. To get a taste of what else is coming, visit my profile for more information about a Spoby story that I'm writing, as well as a Sparia multi-chapter. Now enough of my words, here's your chapter!**

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><p>Hanna curled up against the window in her living room, pressing her body against the windowsill as she pondered over the day's events. Emily had left the park with Blake, and Hanna had brought Audrey home as well. Audrey had gone upstairs, and Caleb was working in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Hanna had been in the same position against the windowsill since she had returned home.<p>

She noticed it was getting to be very dark outside. It was such a simple observation, yet somehow Hanna was amazed she was able to figure it out given how many hot ice cubes were currently occupying her brain.

While she had an amazing time with Emily, and it was good to get together with her, walking away from Emily had simply caused Hanna to fall backward into the swimming pool of traumatizing events that composed of this week. She was amazed that the trial had lasted as long as it had, and even more amazed that the duration of it all had only caused the events to worsen. Now that they had found out about Mona's accomplice, their credibility was shrinking, and she was looking better and better for the jury members.

As sirens sounded in the distance and branches rustled against the glass pane, casting ominous shadows into the room that Hanna would've reacted to if she weren't in such a despondent mood, she tried to wrap her head around it all. She didn't know how, but Mona managed to turn her entire case around to the point that she was almost on the side of the prosecution. Somehow, being a bullied, insecure teenager, while throwing in a few misunderstandings such as the keys to a family minivan or a job at a local Verizon store, justified for all of the murder, torture, and misdoings that Mona had cast upon the girls in high school, and Hanna didn't like it one bit. And the fact that Mona even at one point almost cast _her_ under her spell frightened her greatly.

Now she had thrown Ezra into it, and that just tied Hanna's stomach in knots even more. The girls knew Ezra's story because of what he told them, but there were _so_ many ways Mona could twist his story around in court. She could say he emotionally manipulated her, say he recruited her in the first place, say he _blackmailed_ her into joining the team. Hell, she could even just tell the _truth_, and still look miles better than Ezra based on the fact that he was a grown man at the time whose involvement in this entire thing started with his relationship with an underage girl.

Crickets were now wailing on the grass outside of her house, and Hanna ran a hand through her blonde locks in an attempt to cope with the unwelcome sounds. She hated seeing her friends go through so much pain. It was bad enough that Spencer had to deal with Melissa defending Mona, but then Mona managed to flip the focus of the court case by accusing Emily of murder through a witness, and to put the cherry on top of it all, she had revealed Aria's husband to be working alongside her all along. Hanna knew her trip down here wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but this was ridiculous.

There was suddenly a loud _thump_, and Hanna realized she had hit her leg against the wall across from her. Her leg was shaking badly from withdrawal, this she knew. She had tried to go a few days without smoking, but because she had plunged back in, she needed them more than ever. She was like a sheet of metal. It could be bent, and then smoothed out, but when bent again it would be bent in the exact same place. No matter how many times she had recovered from her addiction, one toe back into the water and she was suddenly nine feet deep.

Tired of moping, Hanna swung her legs around and off of the window sill, propping herself fully off of it as she trudged over to the chair in the center of the room where she had set her bag from earlier. She picked it up by the handles and started rummaging through it with her free hand, but after sixty seconds of searching, she came up for air empty handed. Confused, she tried one of the outside pockets, then some of the underused inside pockets. Soon, she had made her way through the entire bag, but nowhere in it could she see her pack of Marlboros.

Hanna plopped the bag down on the chair as she scratched her head in confusion, as well as agitation. Where were they?

"Looking for these?"

Hanna nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun around completely. The room was dark, aside from a seldom few moon beams peeking through the curtain, but she could still make out a mop of shaggy brown hair near the entryway to the living room. As her eyes adjusted into focus, she was also able to make out the shape of a masculine silhouette, a lean arm extended.

A lean arm holding something that belonged to Hanna.

Caleb came out from the shadows, his caramel eyes burning with anger through his straight locks, as he held out the pack of Marlboros in question. Hanna felt her stomach lurch.

"Go on," he said tersely, his fingers tightening around the box so hard that Hanna was amazed it hadn't popped open yet. "Take them."

On the fence, Hanna stepped forward, keeping a close eye on Caleb, wondering whether he would make any kind of move. A strike, a sharp comment, anything of the sort. But he remained still, remained calm, as Hanna reached up for the pack, touching her fingers to his.

In a way, this was almost worse.

Once she had the box in her grasp, Caleb sighed, and Hanna immediately knew what was coming. "Hanna, why are you smoking again?"

Hanna lowered her eyes and averted them to the right, interesting herself greatly with the embroidery on one of the couch cushions instead of her husband. This question was harder to answer than she had hoped. "I... I don't know."

"You promised you weren't going to get back into it again." Caleb's voice had an edge to it, but Hanna could sense the hurt behind it, and that did nothing to ease the pain in her heart.

"I'm sorry," she said earnestly, feeling much needed, yet overused, tears slip past her eyelids and escape onto her cheeks. She'd been crying so much lately, she was amazed she had any to spare. "There's just a lot going on right now - "

"Hanna, I _know_ what's going on," Caleb said, his voice rising in volume. "I've been here, I've seen it all. But I told you, as long as I'm here, I'm not going to let you do this to yourself."

"Then _leave!_" Hanna shouted, but as soon as the words left her mouth, like releasing a balloon into the air, she immediately wished she could take them back, that she could have the balloon back into her grasp once again. Caleb nearly stumbled backward at her words, their impact so powerful that he could hardly stand up straight. Yet as Hanna watched them go and watched their chain reaction take toll, she realized she almost didn't regret saying them.

"If it's too painful for you to see me this way," she enunciated carefully, "then leave. There's no way you can fix whatever is happening, and there's no way for you to fix me. Just throw in the towel and take Audrey back to Chicago."

"Hanna, I'm not leaving you - "

"I'm not _asking_ you to leave Rosewood, Caleb!" Hanna exclaimed frustratedly, stomping her foot for emphasis. "I'm _ordering_ you to!"

Again, Caleb took a step back, yet with each step Hanna felt herself becoming more and more confident in her words. Several more tears leaked down her face as she let out a stuttered breath. "I checked the air fares earlier," she admitted. "There's a 10 o'clock flight tomorrow morning. Get on it."

"Hanna," Caleb said brokenly. "I don't understand why you think I'd just leave you _stranded_ here like this."

"Have you ever thought that maybe this isn't just about you?" Hanna said, her voice quivering through her tears. This was it. She was done. She was tired, and she wasn't going to put up with this anymore.

Caleb now didn't just look hurt. He looked more confused. "What..."

"I'm talking about Audrey, Caleb," Hanna blurted out, and suddenly a flash of understanding passed through Caleb's ethnic features, but Hanna kept going.

"I'm tired of putting up a front for my daughter when I'm here," she said tearfully. "I'm tired of having to wake up and rush to her room to check to make sure she's still there, I'm tired of hugging her like it's the last time I'll see her because I don't _know_ whether it truly is the last time I'll see her, and I'm tired of feeling like she's not safe here, that there's nothing I can do to protect her as long as she's in Rosewood. Hell, I'm _finally_ starting to understand what my mother meant when she said she memorized the color of my shirt every time I left the house, but I don't want to keep feeling like this."

"Hanna," Caleb interjected slowly, "that's called maternal instincts."

"Yeah, and they're _telling_ me something!" Hanna snapped. "They're telling me she's not safe here. Mona may be on careful watch while she's on parole, but you're going to have to do a damn good job of convincing me that that girl can't break through whatever chains they place on her, and I will _not_ let her within a _mile_ of Audrey."

"And you think I will?" Caleb fought back angrily. "Dammit, Hanna, I'm _sick _of this! You're not the only one allowed to love her, and you're not the only one allowed to feel love!"

Hanna froze, watching intently as Caleb pushed a hair back from his face, revealing the agony in his expression as he stepped further into the light. "I'm not going to let the two most important girls in my life get into harm's way," he said genuinely. "Hanna, I love you so much, and I wish there was a way for you to see that."

Hanna sighed as she leaned against the armchair behind her. "I love you, too," she whispered, the words incredibly hard to say, despite the true emotion she felt behind them. "And that's why I want you to get out of here. And take Audrey with you."

She rose her head, staring up into his kind brown eyes, but immediately she wished she could duck back down again. The pain, the anguish, the confusion his eyes held was too much for her to bare, and his once caring gaze now felt unwelcome. They held their eyes in an intense lock for a while longer, neither daring the other to let go, until a long _beep_ jolted them out of it.

Hanna jerked her head over toward the kitchen - the source of the noise was the microwave going off - and then back at Caleb, who let his shoulders droop. He tore his gaze away from Hanna's and walked over to the stairwell. "Audrey!" he called. "Come downstairs, your mac 'n' cheese is ready!"

Hanna's ears were then met with the pitter patter of footsteps trotting down the stairs, and she closed her eyes as she tried to calm down. The last thing she wanted was for Audrey to see her like this, but if Caleb cooperated and she sprinkled in a little bit of good luck, maybe she wouldn't have to.

"Mommy?"

Hanna winced. Crap, she was caught.

When Hanna opened her eyes, Audrey was standing in front of her, eyes wider than saucers as she stared sadly up at her mother. "Why are you crying?"

Hanna hastily wiped her tears. "I'm... I'm not Audrey, I'm just tired."

"You're upset, mom," Audrey insisted, clearly distraught. "Why are you upset?"

Hanna exasperatedly brought her hands up to her forehead. She hated seeing Audrey so distressed, especially since she knew she wasn't going to hear the end of it now. "Audrey, your mac 'n' cheese is waiting for you. Go eat, please."

"Mommy - "

"Audrey Elizabeth!" Hanna finally snapped, standing up now in order to present herself as a greater authority figure. "I said go eat your dinner! _Listen_ to me!"

By the time Hanna had finished screaming, she felt incredibly emotionally drained, but she could feel her heart sink even more when she saw the look on Audrey's face. Her lower lip started trembling, and she could see her eyes start to water with fear. Before Hanna could so much as react, Audrey had run out of the room.

Hanna wrapped her arms around herself as she turned her back on Caleb and walked over to the window, feeling herself slowly start to crumble. She felt Caleb move up behind her, touching her shoulder in a show of comfort, but she shrugged him off.

"Do you see now why I can't have either of you here?" she whimpered, salt water tears trickling into her mouth as she did so, lingering on her taste buds. "I'll be happier knowing you two are safe. You can get back to work, and you can take Audrey to work with you for all I care. Just... please, keep her and yourself out of Rosewood, away from Mona - "

"Okay."

Hanna whipped around in surprise, nearly knocking herself over. "What?"

Caleb bowed his head as he steadily walked up to her. "I said okay," he said softly. He then took his hands up to her face, caressing her angular jaw with care. "I don't like the thought of leaving you here by yourself, but I'm sure Ashley will take good care of you. And... I made a promise when I proposed to you that I would do whatever it took to make you happy. If staying here with you is keeping you from being happy, then I don't want that for you."

Hanna gave Caleb a watery smile, even though her heart was doing anything but smiling. This was an incredibly hard decision, and she wished it didn't have to be her final one, but she had made up her mind. She didn't want Caleb here with her. She wanted to deal with this on her own, and that was that.

But Caleb knew this, and Caleb was willing to listen to what she had to say. It was times like these that Hanna was both grateful, and spiteful, for having a husband who respected her enough to take orders from her.

Finally, after what seemed like years of silence and stillness, Caleb leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't a steamy kiss, but it was a passionate one. Their lips were hardly touching, but she could feel the spark and the love between them. And that was enough for her.

Finally, Caleb pulled back, touching his forehead to hers as his eyes filled with fresh tears. She knew he didn't want to go, and this was killing her, but they both knew it was best.

"I'll start packing now," he croaked, and after delivering one final kiss on her forehead, he slipped his hands off of her skin and made his way out of the room and up the stairs.

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><p><strong>I think it's safe to say that things are going pretty far downhill for our Liars. Whether they pick up again, though, is for you to find out. 10 reviews and you'll get your next chapter! :)<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**I know I said I'd update when you guys got me 10 more reviews... but then I just kept FORGETTING! I'm so sorry, guys, it's super hard to update from my phone and this week has been crazy. You all deserve better. Let me know in the reviews how I can make it up to you! In the meantime... the chapter I promised ;)**

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><p>The next morning, Aria woke up in a cocoon of satin, freshly washed sheets, with a pounding migraine and a brain filled with cobwebs that she couldn't seem to clear away. Yet even with the cobwebs, she remembered everything from the previous day as clearly as a bell.<p>

Telling off Spencer the way she had was a terrible mistake, one that she figured out much too late and one that only started seeping into her senses once she was back at home, crying her eyes out into a bottle of wine at her mother's kitchen table while her son was asleep in the other room. Looking back, she realized how childish she was being, but she supposed it made sense: she had fallen for Ezra because he was the first person to treat her like an adult. And now that his actions were proven to be a lie, the only reasonable reaction was to give up and reveal her true feelings.

Aria rolled over onto her back, further entangling herself in the cool texture of the fabric. She had slept fitfully, for more reasons than one; she wanted to place all of the blame on the trauma from yesterday persistently knocking against the corners of her mind, making itself noticed, but deep down Aria knew the real reason she was unable to sleep was because she wasn't used to sleeping without a specific pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

Ever since high school, Aria had been convinced that Ezra was her soulmate. He was someone well-read, well-travelled, and his soul had reached out to her and encompassed her in a loving embrace, one that she was entranced in and didn't want to leave. It was now that she started to realize that this was because he was actually _trapping_ her, _manipulating_ her, making her feel safe and loved, when in reality she was pushing away the ones who really loved her. Like her mom. And her friends.

And now, Tom. Tom was the newest addition to the people in her life that really cared about her, and that she cared about likewise.

There was a part of Aria that had snapped when Tom had come running up to her the previous night. How could she possibly look at her little boy the same way again, knowing how he had been conceived? Knowing that he was brought into this world through impure intentions? How could she look at him the same way again, when she always used to look into his freckled face and see her husband?

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Aria groaned softly as she sat up on her elbows, still wearing her sweats from last night, and the very hazel eyed boy she'd been thinking about slipped through the crack in the doorway.

"Morning, Tom," Aria greeted her son as he shuffled over to her bed. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were groggy, but it was the way his mouth had curved into a permanent frown that had captured her attention.

"Grandma says you need to come into the main room," he said with a yawn as he sat next to Aria on the bed. "One of your friends is here."

Aria's heart sank. She bet it was Spencer, coming over to yell at her for what she said yesterday. But she supposed that was something she deserved. Aria started to unravel herself from the covers, but she found that she couldn't stop staring into Tom's face. He looked so solemn, and she wondered if it had anything to do with what happened last night.

"Is there anything else, honey?" Aria prompted, and when Tom hesitated, her answer had been confirmed.

"Momma," he began after several moments, "where's daddy?"

Aria sighed, long and hard, as she pulled Tom closer to her. She knew this was coming, and yet somehow she still wasn't prepared for her son's question. "I... I don't know, sweetheart," she said honestly.

A series of emotions passed by Tom's face like an overcast, clouds shifting form as they slithered past. One emotion, clear as day, was fear; fear that shattered Aria's heart. She gave his hands a gentle squeeze as she went on. "We... we had a big fight," she whispered, trying not to let too much information pass through her lips, or too many tears slip past her eyes. "And I don't know when you or I will see him again."

Tom's lower lip quivered, and Aria prayed that she hadn't upset him too much. "But... why not?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Why can't I see daddy again? What did he do?"

Now tears really were starting to roll down Aria's cheeks, and she hastily brushed them away. "Tom, I'm not sure you'd want to see daddy if you knew what he did to me," she croaked, anger bubbling in her throat, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it. "I made daddy leave for you, and I hope some day you can understand that. The one thing I want, more than anything, is for you to be safe. And with your father was still with us, you would be in danger."

Tom let a few tears leak down his cheeks, and Aria, in response, pulled him in even closer, her arms a protective barrier around his tiny body. "I never knew daddy was a bad man."

Aria held back a sob as she stroked her son's hair, trying her hardest to silence her son's soft cries. For now, Ezra was gone, and she had no idea when he'd be back. She didn't even know if she'd ever see him again. What was the plan from here? What happened when they went back to New York? Would she and Tom walk in to find a near empty house? Would the bookshelves that once held Ezra's mass romantic collection be emptied? Would the kitchen cabinets be barren once he had cleaned out all of his "World's Best Teacher" mugs students had given him? Would his desk be gone, too?

Most importantly, Ezra's absence would mean she'd have to raise Tom on her own, and while she loved Tom to the moon and back, being a single mother was incredibly hard work. And while Aria was known for her persistence, this was one task she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle.

But if that's what it would come to, she'd do it. She'd raise Tom on her own, she'd work a side job as a waitress so that she could keep a steady salary - enough to take care of him, feed him, and send him to school next year. She wouldn't just find a way - she'd do more than that. She'd make sure Tom wasn't just satisfied, but happy. She'd do anything for him.

"I love you so much, Tom," Aria whispered as she squeezed him tightly, tears still streaming down the frame of her face, and she let out a sigh of relief when a voice, muffled by her shoulder, spoke clear as a bell, "I love you too, Mommy."

Their heartfelt exchange was interrupted, however, by the door creaking open again, and to Aria's surprise, she wasn't looking up at Spencer. She wasn't even looking up at her mother.

Hanna's blue eyes widened in embarrassment. "Your mom told me to just come in," she explained. "Umm... I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, you're not," Aria said evenly as she split apart from Tom, setting him on the ground. "I'm going to have a talk with auntie Hanna, okay? Can you help grandma make breakfast?"

Tom nodded his head reluctantly, but when Aria leaned down, sticking her cheek out, Tom kissed it without hesitation and then ran out of the room. Hanna shut the door behind him, and then it was just the two of them.

"Cute kid," Hanna said, in a clear attempt to make small talk, as she folded her arms across her pale gray dress - it seemed as though she would be going straight from the apartment to the trial, because she had already dressed up for it. Aria looked down at her ratty t-shirt and pajama bottoms, suddenly feeling very underdressed. When she reached up to her hair and felt the rats nest on top of it, she started to stand up, but two strong hands sat her right back down.

"Relax," Hanna said with an eyeroll, and Aria knew she could almost read her mind. "We used to hang around in each other's rooms in bras and soffe shorts. I think I can handle you when you just woke up."

Aria giggled as she made room for Hanna on the bed, pushing away her initial surprise and making way for some happiness that she had her old friend in the room with her. Hanna gladly took the spot, and then turned to Aria with concern. "How are you holding up?"

Aria thought about this, but before she could even attempt to answer, Hanna cut her off. "Don't even try to pretend you're okay," she snapped, and as if to prove her point, she reached up to Aria's cheek and wiped a stray tear away. Aria bashfully smudged her hands over her cheeks to get rid of any other watermarks that might have stubbornly stayed, but after a minute, she gave up.

"Not that well," she admitted as she slumped over, crossing her legs in an applesauce position on the bedspread. "Tom has been asking questions about Ezra, and I really don't know how to answer them. How do I tell my own son that his father is a horrible person?"

The words tasted salty on her tongue, and she hoped Hanna didn't make her repeat them at any point. Luckily, and to Aria's surprise given Hanna's behavior a few days ago, the blonde seemed very understanding toward Aria's situation. She patted Aria's knee lovingly. "Tom's a good kid," she said genuinely, "and I think he's smart enough to know what your limits are right now. He's just going to want to keep you happy."

"And I want to keep him happy," Aria countered, "but I have a feeling neither can live while the other survives."

Hanna paused, raising an eyebrow. "Did you just quote _Harry Potter_?"

Aria blushed as Hanna continued to laugh. "Guilty," she confessed, actually somewhat happy for a segway into a lighter topic. "But I thought it'd be okay since you've never read the books!"

"Please." Hanna swatted a hand through the air. "Spencer and Emily would always want to watch the films on our movie nights, remember?"

Aria pondered this. Actually, she did remember. She was just a little surprised that _Hanna_ had not only remembered, but brought it up herself. Emily had told her, and Aria had seen for herself, that Hanna had decided to open up to the girls a little more during their stay here, but if Aria was having any doubts before, they were all gone now. It seemed like Hanna really was making an effort to rekindle their friendship.

But despite all of that, Aria could detect something in Hanna's face, in the way she was fiddling with her fingers and shifting her position on the bed every dozen seconds, that told her that Hanna might not have just come to cheer Aria up, to get Aria to open up, but to do a little sharing of her own. And sure enough, after a few minutes of awkward silence after the laughter had died down, Hanna spoke again, only much softer this time.

"Caleb went back home this morning," she blurted out quietly, and Aria nearly fell off the bed at this confession, but Hanna wasn't done. "And he took Audrey. And it's all because I told him to."

Aria was speechless for several seconds, but eventually found her words. "Why did you make them leave?"

Hanna gave a halfhearted shrug. "I didn't want them here," she said with little emotion, but Aria knew from experience that she was saying these words with a heavy pain in her heart. Aria waited for Hanna to say something else, but she didn't for a very long time. Until finally, she spoke up. "I don't know why I told you that."

"I do," Aria said, glad to have something to say as she scooted in closer to Hanna, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You told me because I'm your friend."

Hanna looked up at Aria with eyes shining with tears, and Aria simply wrapped her other arm around Hanna in a hug, letting the other girl rest her head on her shoulder. Both girls were going through their separate struggles right now, but both knew that their struggles were interconnected, and as long as they were together the way they were, they would help each other.

Because now that they had gotten back together, it was important that they stayed together. They were losing this trial, they both knew, but by holding hands along the way, they could possibly make it to the top, swiping Mona off her feet once and for all.

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><p><strong>Awww, Haria :) next chapter... the Hastings family reunion you never saw coming. 10 more reviews and you'll get it! (I mean that this time)<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**Man, you guys really all are the best. Being able to update daily because you all get me 10 reviews so quickly warms my heart. Although this time, let's make it trickier: instead of 10 reviews, how about 10 MEATY reviews? I love, love long reviews, and I'd love to read what you guys have to say about the story, more than just 'This chapter was great update soon!' That sounds greedy, but we're closing in on the end of this story, so I want to be able to stretch it out a little bit I guess. SO: 10 long, meaty reviews for this next chapter (for an example, but a HIGH example so you by no means have to try to meet those SPECIFIC standards, see eveningshades1107's reviews) and then you'll get an update. But for NOW, enjoy this next chapter ;)**

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><p>Spencer threw up in a nearby trashcan, coughing up a bile substance until her stomach was emptied completely.<p>

She had been out all night, pacing frantically down the sidewalk as she tried to work puzzle pieces in her mind together, painting a picture mentally of clues, evidence, and arguments she could use to take Mona down, and making a promise to write all of it down later. But she had spent so much time planning out everything she was going to say tomorrow - er, _today - _that she hadn't noticed the sun peaking over the horizon, or the ninety missed calls on her phone, which she had turned on silent to avoid disruptions, from her husband.

She had been out all night - literally, _all night_ - and she hadn't thought to even let her husband know. He must have been worried sick, and to make matters worse, Spencer _herself_ must've been getting sick out of sleep deprivation due to the recent upchuck she just experienced. Super.

Spencer gave herself a few minutes to calm herself down, taking shallow, hitched breaths over the trash can as she touched her hands up to her sallow skin, which felt sweaty and blotched. She was definitely coming down with something, and her mangled nerves certainly weren't helping the situation, but there was no room for a sick day. It was imperative enough that she attend the trial consistently before, but now that she was the prosecuting attorney for her friends, she had to be there, with or without health restraints. So after a few almost-peaceful moments to herself, Spencer straightened out last night's outfit and made her way to the hotel that she and her family were staying at.

When she got up to the correct floor and slipped the key into the pocket of the door hinge, entering the room, she drew in a sharp breath.

A red tablecloth was cloaked over the desk near the window, and two lean candlesticks, now blown out, were resting in the center. There were two porcelain plates, now empty, on either side of the desk, and a set of iPod speakers was pushed up against the window. To the left of the desk, Elijah was asleep on a cot, his dirty blonde curls in a disarray on his pillow, and a crib, most likely where Aiden was sleeping, stood next to the cot. Spencer felt a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach, but when she heard a sigh of intense relief to her right, she felt more numb than anything.

Toby was standing in the middle of the tiny kitchen attached to the room. He had just gotten out of the shower, Spencer immediately deduced, for he was only wearing pajama bottoms and his spiky wet hair was letting off the scent of furniture polish that could only belong to the hotel's shampoo. He would have looked far sexier to Spencer if he wasn't wearing the eyes of a lost puppy, and when he came up and held Spencer's scorching hot cheeks in his hands, forcing her to look into his sad puppy eyes, she felt the pang of guilt return.

"Where the hell were you?" he whispered hoarsely, sounding not so mad as much as he did upset. But Spencer also knew that he couldn't raise his voice unless he wanted to wake up the kids.

Spencer closed her eyes as she took his strong wrists in her hands. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I was meeting with Aria, but... that didn't go as well as I had planned, so I tried taking a walk to clear my head, but then I lost track of time - "

"When you didn't answer your phone, I thought something had _happened_," Toby croaked, releasing his hands from Spencer's desperate grip as he started pacing around the kitchen. "I went looking for you, I thought you had done something _drastic!_"

"You went looking for me?" Spencer's eyes went wide. "What did you tell Elijah?"

Toby rolled his eyes, and Spencer had to suppress a loud, cliche gulp. He really _was_ angry, it turned out. "I'm sure when his _mother_ hadn't returned after midnight, he was getting suspicious."

"I said I was sorry." Spencer kept her mouth open, expecting more words to come forward, but she was left with none. So instead of using her mouth, she found herself using her eyes, letting them wander toward the dining setup by the window.

Before Spencer could say anything - not that she would, since she still couldn't find her words - Toby interjected. "I wanted to set up a nice romantic evening," he said solemnly as he ducked his head. "I planned to send Elijah and Aiden to the day care center in the lobby, and I ordered room service for you and me. I just wanted to relieve some tension, but..."

"Toby..." Spencer wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop herself from shaking as a well of tears slithered up through her body. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

Toby just shook his head. "I don't mind. But what I _do_ mind is seeing you like this. Spencer, you haven't slept in 24 hours, you were out all night."

"I'm just a little stressed."

"You're a _lot_ stressed," Toby argued. "But I'm not going to stop until you _have_ relieved some of that tension."

"Toby - "

Toby simply put his hand up, not wanting to hear it. "We still have a couple of hours until we need to be at the courthouse, so in that time I want you to put your feet up and relax. I will make you breakfast - "

"I don't want breakfast."

"You should at least want some coffee..."

"I don't want coffee either."

Toby's eyes widened to the size of saucers as his mouth contracted, because there wasn't anything _anyone _could think of that Spencer would want more than coffee. "Spencer..."

"Thank you for being such a perfect husband when I'm being such a terrible wife, but I'd really just like to be left alone."

The words fell from her mouth like an icicle, sending an immediate chill to the air and shocking both of them. Toby tried to shake this off as he came closer, the scent of his brandless shampoo getting stronger. "We can work something out - "

"I don't want to work anything out!" Spencer snapped, more loudly than she had intended. "I want to be left _alone!_"

A low whimper was heard over on the other side of the room, and Spencer recognized it as the sound of Elijah stirring. In a moment of panic, Spencer rushed out of the hotel room without a second glance into her husband's caring face, walking as quickly as her tired legs could carry her. She kept her head low as she felt the tears getting closer and closer to leaking out of her eyes, but she realized that she was making a mistake as she bumped into someone on her way down a flight of stairs.

Spencer raised her head to apologize, but was shocked to find herself staring not into the eyes of a stranger, but into a more familiar face.

Melissa blinked, caught off guard, but before she could say anything, Spencer snapped. She was overwhelmed enough as it was, and here was Melissa to make her feel even worse about herself and her life choices, and the mere thought caused her to burst into tears. But to her surprise, instead of more persistent mocking at the sight of Spencer's breakdown, she felt Melissa's thin arms wrap themselves around Spencer's now shaking frame.

"Hey, it's okay," Melissa said softly, sounding almost caring as she stroked the spine of Spencer's back. "It's okay."

"Why... why are you here?" Spencer asked through her incoherent sobs. "How did you even find me?"

Melissa pulled back to give Spencer's arms a sympathetic squeeze and a smile to match. "We tracked your credit card, obviously."

"There you are!" a voice that could only belong to Mrs. Hastings sounded as she marched up the stairwell. Spencer looked around at her family members, only feeling more and more confused, as well as more and more angry. She could feel her trembling hands ball into fists, keeping hold of so many words unsaid and getting ready to throw them at her mother and sister in a fierce, balled up diatribe.

Melissa must've noticed Spencer's energy compiling like a wind-up toy, for she cautiously reached forward and lowered Spencer's fists to her sides. "Don't be angry, please." Her tone was so sincere that it cut through Spencer, plunging deep into her heart and standing out among all of the times her sister had spoken in a much harsher way with her. "I have a confession."

"It better be a really good one," Spencer growled, being unable to help herself as she averted her eyes up to her mother, who lowered her gaze to the ground, looking even more tired than she had at the trial. Spencer then looked back at Melissa, who took a deep breath as she spoke the words that, upon hearing them, Spencer thought should have been accompanied with a record scratching sound.

"Mona blackmailed me."

Spencer's jaw hung loose and painfully grazed the floor, but Melissa ignored this as she kept talking. "It was brilliant, really," she said with a sad shrug of her shoulders. "Not only did she recruit me knowing I was the best lawyer in Rosewood - next to mom, who was already taken - but she knew it would shake you up, too."

Spencer didn't know whether she should believe this or not, for her sister was not short of lying in the past, but she started to realize how much that made sense. Melissa had done award-winning performances in high school plays and musicals, so she was certainly capable of playing the part of a stubborn, morally ambiguous lawyer who didn't give a shit about her sister, and there was certainly a lot of baggage that Mona could hold over Melissa's head. The question was... what?

"The Jenna thing," Melissa blurted out, as though she had just read Spencer's mind. "She said that... if I didn't defend her in court, she would bring up how you girls blinded Jenna, and make you all look even worse."

Spencer quickly placed a hand on the back of her neck, attempting to suppress the oncoming whiplash she was about to experience. "And... that upset you enough to want to defend her?"

"Spencer." Melissa spoke so genuinely that Spencer was tempted to press her hand to her forehead and check to see if she had a fever. "I'd rather see Mona out of jail than see you _in_ jail. I couldn't let her do that to you. I... I do care about you, you know."

Spencer wanted to argue that there have been plenty of times when she had believed Melissa didn't care about her, but looking into her sister's deep brown eyes, she realized that this wasn't the case, and perhaps never had been. If she had just looked a little deeper into her sister's complexion all of the times she had been bringing her down, maybe she could've seen that there was love somewhere in there, not the cold hue she had been led to believe clouded her. And when Spencer looked over at the tiredness in her mother's face, she didn't even need to ask; her mother had known. All of the times her mother had defended Melissa, it was because she felt bad for her. Melissa was just trying to keep Spencer safe, and Spencer had been talking smack about her the entire time. How could she have been so stupid.

"Sweetie," Veronica started to say when it looked like Spencer was going to cry again, "this isn't your fault. We should've told you sooner."

"But I couldn't," Melissa added on. "Mona made me promise, and I technically still shouldn't... but after I saw you fire mom yesterday, I had to say something. I... I couldn't let you go on _hating _her."

"I never hated her," Spencer said through her tears, hastily wiping them away in embarrassment. "Or you."

Melissa's face brightened when she heard this, and Spencer kept going. "I was just sad because... I thought you both hated me."

Melissa and Veronica both sighed in relief as they came forward, and when they both squeezed Spencer's hands in encouragement, she felt some of the stress ease off of her shoulders. "I could never hate you, Spencer," Melissa said, tears of her own now leaking down her cheeks. "You're my baby sister. I just want to make sure nothing happens to you, and if there was another way - "

"But there isn't," Spencer said with a sigh, before turning to her mother. "Mom, I'm sorry I kicked you off the case. If you want the position back - "

"Keep it."

Spencer didn't even try to suppress her whiplash this time; she simply took the pain that came with it when her head returned to its normal position. "What?"

Veronica smiled proudly. "You're a damn good lawyer, Spencer," she said. "I know you can handle this case, and give Mona what she deserves."

Spencer looked unsurely to Melissa, with newfound respect for her sister in her gaze. "But... this means I'll have to go against you."

At this, Melissa did something Spencer didn't expect, even when she should've. She gave a knowing, competitive grin as she held out her hand her Spencer to shake. "Then let the best win," she said, with a playful wink, and Spencer took her hand, shaking it as an electric wave of shock rippled through her. Sometimes, she didn't understand her sister, but for the most part, it seemed as though she was on her side.

But from the looks of it, Melissa didn't want Spencer to get hurt, so whether that meant she would go easier on her in court was something Spencer wasn't sure of, but she still knew one thing for sure.

Allies or no allies, she was winning this case.

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><p><strong>I'll see you all next chapter! Don't forget to review!<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

**Forget what I said about "meaty" reviews. You guys got me to 10, so I'm updating.**

**There has been some confusion on the revelation from the last chapter, mainly from nick2951, but honestly there shouldn't be. Mona had been in jail for 10 YEARS, so you don't know WHEN she sent that blackmail to Melissa. And how can someone who was SO EAGER for me to include the Jenna thing now be dubious toward how Mona can even have proof when its brought up? Bottom line is that Mona always has a plan, and she was just waiting for it to go into action and for Melissa to step up to the challenge. She is always one step ahead of everyone, and if you "fail to understand" that, then you haven't been paying attention all along.**

**Now, this next chapter is possibly one of the most intense chapters in the entire story, mainly because of what happens at the end. Day 4 of the trial has begun, and I have so many twists in store for you all. I will say this: the final verdict is decided next chapter, but there is still one more chapter after that, and then an epilogue, and not a single one of you will be able to see ANYTHING coming! Well, okay, maybe SOME things, BUT NOT ALL OF IT! Ugh, just read, you'll see.**

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><p>Emily watched in horror as the scene before her carried on. She and the girls were now in their fourth day of the trial, and things were carrying on just as they were for the past three days: the girls presented their case, Melissa and Mona counteracted it, and the girls were made to look bad in front of the jury. Only this time was different because instead of Mrs. Hastings prosecuting Mona, it was Spencer.<p>

Now, Emily was never one to criticize anyone, but even she had to admit to herself that Spencer was not doing a good job. She had predicted that Spencer would have been even more wired than usual, drinking as much coffee as possible to make sure she was extremely alert when it came to interrogating Mona. Instead, Spencer seemed incredibly lethargic, each movement she made looking as though she was struggling to stay awake. Her hands were shaking, her eyes were constantly blinking as she constantly worked at keeping them open, her face was paler than Emily had ever seen it, and all the while Mona was sitting at the stand up front, waiting to be cross-examined and rolling her eyes as Spencer shuffled through some files at the desk in front of her, beads of sweat on her palm smearing all over the pages.

Emily placed a hand on Spencer's. "Spence," she said calmly, "you don't look so good. I can call Toby and have him drive you home – "

"Don't," Spencer snapped, her voice quivering as she retracted her hand from Emily's and slapped her briefcase shut. "I have to get the truth out of her."

She then sauntered up front and proceeded with asking Mona a slew of incoherent questions that left Mona with less eye rolls and more confusing glances. Emily slapped her palm to her forehead as she turned to Aria, who was staring blankly ahead, clearly trying to appear stiff and unamused, but Emily knew that Aria was just as upset about the situation as she was. Apparently, Aria and Spencer had gotten into a huge fight the previous night, which led to Spencer and Toby getting into a huge fight, which led to Melissa and Mrs. Hastings confessing to being blackmailed by Mona, and _all_ of this led to Toby staying home with the kids since Spencer didn't want him there with her and it wasn't like she could take them to Aria's mother's apartment anymore after what happened, _and_ led to Spencer currently being the way she was: tired, sick, and babbling.

"But you yourself said that you hated Alison DiLaurentis, too," Spencer continued, taking small pacing steps across the hardwood in an attempt – an unfortunately failed one – to seem intimidating. "You said so yourself when you were driving me in a car off of a cliff."

"Objection, Your Honor!" Melissa shouted, and Emily winced. Exactly _how_ was Melissa on their side this way?"

"Sustained," Judge Forton proclaimed, before turning to Spencer. "Mrs. Cavanaugh. _Detachment_. You are currently the prosecutor, so you cannot count yourself as a witness."

"Yes, Your Honor," Spencer said bitterly, clearly only saying so to shut him up. She then rolled her shoulders back and walked over to her desk. "I can't testify, this is true. But I _can_ present evidence."

She then pulled up a stack of photos, displaying them for the jury like a hand of cards. There were murmurs from the jury as Spencer took them up to the easel up front, sticking the photos on a poster board for them all to see. They were about the size of printer paper, and they all contained portraits of a younger Mona. These Monas were plumper and healthier-looking than the Mona sitting before them, and each one looked different. There was Mona with glasses and her hair in pigtails; Mona in a sparkly shirt with a little too much lip-gloss on her plump, dark lips; Mona in a hospital gown, sans any make-up; Mona in a preppy getup, with a headband and a collared shirt.

"I present the following as Exhibit M for the jury," Spencer said, gaining a bit more confidence now as her shaking slightly let up. "Four different outfits. Four different looks. Four different _personalities_."

"I was experimenting," Mona said passively as she played with the bracelet on her wrist, something that Emily would have done out of nerves, but Mona was clearly doing to show her lack of interest.

Bitch.

"Experimenting, you say?"

"High school is a time to experiment," Mona went on, still examining her bracelet. "And can you blame me? You girls bullied me so much that I struggled to see where I fit in."

"You seemed to fit in quite well in that baggy black hoodie, which you're lucky I don't have a _picture_ of you in," Spencer growled, and Emily's ears didn't need to be met with Melissa banging her fist on her desk to know that this wasn't a very good choice.

"Objection!"

"Sustained," the judge said yet again. "Mrs. Cavanaugh…"

"I'm sorry, your honor!" Spencer snapped, before turning back to Mona so quickly that she staggered backward slightly, clearly getting dizzy.

As she continued to berate Mona, the girls turned to each other. "Forget us, she's going to hurt _herself_ if she keeps going on like this," Hanna whispered worriedly. "We need to put a muzzle on her."

"I tried, last night!" Aria argued. "She's not going to listen to us, no matter what."

"Maybe she will now!" Emily said. "Surely she has to see that this isn't going well."

"This is _Spencer_ we're talking about," Hanna hissed. "I love her and all, but that girl is stubborn as hell, especially when it comes to Mona."

Emily looked back up front, where Spencer was still interrogating Mona with increasing intensity.

"You were clearly unstable back in high school, and these photos are not the only evidence of that," she said coolly. "You were harsh, you were manipulative, and you were constantly living in one lie to the next."

"You don't have proof of that," Mona spat, but Spencer was resilient.

"I will pull up anyone from high school and get them to testify that you _were_ targeting us, and you _were_ as cold as I am saying you were."

"OBJECTION!"

"Sustained!" the judge said, more impatiently this time. "Mrs. Cavanaugh, I'm not going to tell you again. You have to keep yourself separate from this testimony!"

"She's just trying to make up for her lack of evidence," Mona pointed out coldly as she sat back in her chair. "She filibustering to try to get sympathy from the jury. How unprofessional."

Even though Spencer's back was facing Emily, she could immediately tell the girl was rolling her eyes. "You are _not_ going to talk to me about getting sympathy from the jury, are you?"

"I just don't understand how what you're saying plays me as your torturer and Alison's killer," Mona said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Please stick to the questions that I am asking you, Ms. Vanderwaal."

"I _would_ if you were _asking_ me any questions!" Mona said frustratedly, before looking up at the judge. "What kind of a testimony is this? I was hoping for the older Hastings, she would've been more entertaining."

Emily hid her face in her hands, the scene before her much too painful to watch. "This is so bad."

"I know," Hanna said, with scarcely any emotion in her voice, and Emily wondered if it was because of what was happening with Spencer, or because Caleb was gone. Hanna had told Emily about what had happened with Caleb and Audrey this morning when they had entered the courthouse, and Emily had been devastated. All of her friends' significant others weren't present at today's case, meaning only Paige was there, even though she was clearly furious with Emily, making Emily feel even worse about herself. Why was Paige so good to her, even when she was terrible to her? And what would happen if after this, Emily was sent to jail for murdering Alison, and she had to leave Paige off on this note?

Why did everything in her life have to be such a shitshow?

Finally, Emily removed her head from her hands and turned to Aria. She had heard enough. "Aria, talk to Spencer."

Aria widened her eyes to their extent. "What? Why me?"

"You're the only one who can get to her!" Emily whispered hastily. "She'll listen to you."

"No she won't!" Aria argued apprehensively. "She's still incredibly mad at me after what I said last night. If I say something now, she might do something even more drastic!"

"Guys…" Both Emily and Aria looked over to Hanna, who was wearing an uneasy expression as she directed her attention up front. "Something's up with Spencer."

The girls all looked up front to see Spencer wobbling on her heels, swaying back and forth, a greenish tint to her cheeks. Before anyone could say anything else, Spencer's slender frame folded over, tumbling to the ground in an unconscious heap.

The jury gasped, and Aria and Hanna leaped up, screaming Spencer's name as they rushed to her side. Melissa jumped up, mustering something about how Spencer was trying to get a rouse out of the jury and was acting unfairly, to Mona's satisfaction, but Emily didn't hear any of it. In the rush of things, she had looked back toward Paige, hoping for a reassuring glance of some sort, but instead, something else caught her eye.

Dressed in casual clothes, looking like he hadn't shaved in a day, and even wearing a _disheveled_ choirboy haircut, was Ezra.

While all of the brouhaha up front was still going on, Emily stood up and speedily walked up to Ezra, meeting him halfway. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Emily, I know you don't trust me," Ezra began in a gravelly, tired voice, "but I need to make things right."

"Can you blame me for not trusting you?" Emily growled, standing her ground firmly, as Ezra ducked his head in shame. "You were helping Mona torture us all this time, and you sat in this very courtroom and smugly _watched_ as we tried to bring her down, thinking we could possibly stand a chance. You watched me get framed for murder!"

"I know, and I'm sorry about that."

"It's too late for apologies." Emily crossed her arms across her chest, almost like a protective barrier. "You broke Aria's heart, and don't even think we're going to let you near her."

"I'm not here for Aria," Ezra interrupted as he pulled a plastic package out from behind his back, holding it out for her to glance at. "I'm here for all of you."

Emily blinked, confused. "What are you talking abo – "

"YOUR HONOR!" Ezra shouted as he started marching forward, and Emily cursed herself as she followed suit.

Aria, seeing her husband walk toward her, rushed into a standing position, the blood rushing from her face. "Ezra…"

Emily came to her side as Ezra walked past Aria. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I tried to stop him, but – "

"Mr. Fitz, why are you back in this courtroom?" Judge Forton asked, rubbing his temples in fatigue. "I thought we settled the terms of your arrest yesterday."

Emily, Aria, and Hanna jolted in shock. _Arrest_?

Aria looked like she wanted to question this, but Ezra simply stepped forward, out of Aria's range. "I have pleaded guilty for what I have done," he concurred, trying to lessen tensions slightly. "But if I'm going down, I'm taking Mona Vanderwaal with me."

He then pulled the package out from behind his back and slapped it down on the judge's desk. "Open it, Your Honor. I think you'll find its contents to be of great value."

Judge Forton raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but then sighed as he took his wrinkly fingers to the package with care and began unwrapping the contents. It was so silent in the courtroom that Emily could nearly hear a pin drop, but she knew that if a pin _were_ to drop, she _still _wouldn't be able to hear it. She was too focused on what was happening before her.

Finally, the package was fully opened, and as if to build suspense, the judge slowly took its contents and pulled them out precariously. It was a folded article of clothing, and when the judge let it lose and held up the full article for everyone to see, Emily felt her heart screech to a standstill.

It was a black hoodie, and it was Mona's size.

"Mona's smart, but she's not smart enough to know to wash those things," Ezra said knowingly. "We didn't have a washing machine in the lair, and she was afraid to bring it home to wash, so you will find a full year's worth of DNA on that hoodie, _including_ DNA that will match that on Alison's body _and_ her blood within the fibers on the hoodie. Take a DNA test, and you'll find all of the evidence you need."

He then made his way out of the courtroom, his sneakers echoing loudly against the hardwood. "Case closed," he spat as he walked out the door.

No one had said anything yet, and it wasn't clear whether anyone was going to say anything for a long time. Mona's complexion was as ashen as a newspaper, and Melissa was trying to look scared, but after knowing what she knew, Emily could see that she secretly looked relieved. Hanna was nervously biting her nails, and Aria's face was void of emotion, her eyes dead and her mouth unsmiling.

She had been still as a statue for several seconds, until finally she raced toward the closed door after Ezra.

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><p><strong>... Boom.<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

**Last chapter, a guest reviewer called me out for my targeting author's note, and they were right to do so. That was very immature of me, but I get very offended when my writing/the plots that I come up with are insulted. I do not by any means think of my writing to be "sophisticated". In fact, I think quite the opposite, which is why I get hurt when readers expect so much of me, and this happens a lot for one specific reviewer. Even so, it wasn't right for me to act so brashly to this reviewer the way I did. I hope you all know that I do not think you all are slow - I think you're all wonderful, and I greatly appreciate you all reading my story. It's just been a rough couple of days for me - I've been super busy and have hardly gotten any sleep, and that's no excuse for my mood as of late, but I hope you can understand where I'm coming from. So as compensation, I'm uploading this next chapter super early along with the last one. It's my gift to you all for being so wonderful, and to getting me to 400 reviews! So please forgive my outburst, and hopefully you enjoy ;)**

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><p>"Ezra!" Aria shouted as she burst through the double doors to the courtroom, darting her head back and forth in search for her husband. She tried to recall what he had been wearing when he entered the room: had it been jeans and a sweatshirt? Or jeans, a hoodie, and a v-neck? Hell, why had he even <em>brought<em> any of those clothes with him? He never even _wore _sweatshirts, not even around the house! Had he snagged them from a Goodwill nearby? Or had he shamefully been digging through one of those donation bins on the side of the road?

What exactly had he _been_ through for the past 24 hours?

Finally, she spotted Ezra about to turn a corner, and she raced to meet him there. Unfortunately, it seemed like she was going to have to deal with company; a security guard was escorting him down the hall.

"Dammit, Ezra, _slow down!_" Aria yelled, trying her hardest not to let her tears leak through her voice as she sped up to him. Ezra halted, just before he was going to turn the corner, perhaps gone for good, and turned around to face Aria. As she kept walking up to him, as fast as her high heels could carry her, he whispered a few things to the security guard with him. Aria was starting to get seriously afraid. Why the _hell_ did he have a security guard escorting him?

_I thought we settled the terms of your arrest yesterday._

Aria gulped as she skidded to a halt, standing directly in front of Ezra. Could it be true? Was Ezra really… going to jail?

"This is not procedure," the security guard said stiffly. "You two are really not supposed to be – "

"Please," Aria pleaded, cursing herself for showing weakness like this. "Please, this might be the last time I ever see my husband…"

The security guard softened as Aria started to crumble, and finally let go of Ezra's arm and started to walk down the hall to give her and Ezra some privacy. "Five minutes," he mumbled, before walking out of reasonable hearing distance.

Ezra watched him as he made his way down the hall, before turning back around to face Aria, his kind blue eyes filled with perplexity. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

Aria shook her head, because she thought the same thing just this morning. What changed?

"What you did in there…" She found herself laughing softly, even though there was nothing funny about it. "That was very brave."

Ezra shrugged his shoulders limply, clearly not seeing anything heroic about what he'd done, so Aria kept going. "You really pleaded guilty? You didn't want to be tried in court?"

"Why would I want to do that?" he asked incredulously, his voice so filled with love it penetrated deep into Aria's skin, making her feel every word he was saying as though she was putting each one on like lotion. "Aria, I know what I did was wrong, and I deserve to be punished for everything. It's not fair to you if I get off scott free, or even _try_ to get off scott free. I deserve to go to jail."

"But…" Now Aria's lip was starting to quiver, and she held a hand up to her mouth to try to stop herself from trembling the way she was, but nothing worked. She was a mess. "B-B-But what about Tom?"

Ezra ducked his head, looking like he had clearly thought about all of this, before speaking in the quietest tone he could muster. "Tom doesn't deserve a father like me," he croaked, and if Aria looked closely enough, she could pinpoint tears in his eyes, shimmering like little diamonds in the corners of them. "I feel horrible for leaving you to raise him on your own, but… I didn't think you wanted me to raise him with you."

"I didn't at first," Aria admitted, not even bothering to stop the tears from leaking down the frame of her face as she stepped in closer to him. "But after what you did in there, I… I can't speak for the girls, but if this seals the deal on Mona, I think I can forgive you."

Ezra's eyes lit up, and it looked like an entire weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, but when he leaned in closer to Aria, she knew it wasn't that simple. "I love you so much," he said, taking a chance as he lifted his hands to her cheekbones, and she surprised herself, as she didn't jerk away. Did this mean that she still loved him as well? "I mean it when I say I did everything in my power to protect you while I was working with Mona, and I regret every day that I joined that stupid team."

Aria let out a hiccup of a sob as she held his wrists in her hands. "Well, I hate thinking like this," she began, "but there was a bright side."

"What?"

She gave him a watery smile. "We would've never met if you hadn't joined her."

Ezra let out a guffaw, before loosening his grip on Aria's face and putting his head in one of his hands. "I guess not," he said blankly, as though the entire thing was too ridiculous to even be saying out loud. "But… I think deep down, you wish you had never met me."

Aria shook her head as she reached up to Ezra's face, removing his hand from it with her one hand and ruffling his black curls with her other – the curls that reminded her so much of her son.

Their son.

"I don't," she said quietly. "Because… I love you, too, Ezra."

Ezra was frozen, staring down at her, and she blushed under his caring gaze. After everything Ezra had done, she knew she should've still been furious at him, but without his sacrifice just a few minutes ago, she knew there was no way they could've won this case without him. She knew that with that hoodie, Mona was toast. He had put Mona back in the slammer, cleared Emily's name, and saved every single one of her friends and their children from harm. He clearly felt bad about what he did, and didn't just send himself to jail for the sake of winning Aria's love back; he did it to make up for every wrong thing he had done up to this point. And perhaps, _perhaps_, he had redeemed himself.

Without another word, Aria stood on her toes and kissed Ezra straight on the mouth. He seemed startled by it, but he soon leaned in as well, his lips fitting perfectly into her own. It wasn't a particularly deep kiss, but it was one filled with passion, filled with love, filled with years of life and happiness that they had shared ever since they had gotten married, ever since they had been together.

It was real. She had her doubts yesterday, but what she and Ezra shared was real.

After what seemed like hours, they pulled apart, and the security guard from before was coming up to them. Aria's heart skipped a beat, but when he held up two fingers, signifying that they still had two minutes left, she let herself relax a little.

"How long are they… locking you up?" she asked, her entire body tensing up as she asked the question, and braced herself for an answer.

"Ten years," Ezra finally answered, pain clear in his voice, and Aria couldn't blame him; how the hell was _Ezra_ going to survive _prison?_ She almost laughed to herself at the thought of him flipping out over trading his sweater vests for an orange jumpsuit, but she stopped herself when she realized how sad that sounded.

"But when I get out, we can be together again," he blurted out, snapping Aria out of her thoughts. "I'll be a reformed man, I promise you, and I will take better care of Tom than I ever have."

Tears were now streaming down Aria's cheeks as she reached up for his jawline, running her hand along his stubble. "I'll wait for you," she whispered, and before she could stop herself, she leaped into his arms, hugging him as though she wasn't about to see him for another ten years.

Oh wait.

"I'll miss you," she said tearfully into his shoulder, her voice muffled and her tears soaking his sweatshirt, and he simply ran a hand along her back, trying to comfort her as well as himself.

"I'll miss you, too, Aria," he said into the crook of her neck, his voice clouded with tears of his own. They stayed like this for what seemed like forever, as she took in the scent of his cologne, his aftershave, his musty clothing. All were little things she didn't even realize she'd miss so much until this very moment… except for the musty clothing, of course, simply because it wasn't what she was used to seeing him in.

"Time to go, Fitz," the security guard said from behind the couple, and Aria nearly burst into tears on the spot. Ezra slowly separated from her as he kissed her on the forehead, lingering there as he whispered, "I love you," a few more times against her ivory skin. It felt like cytokinesis when he parted from her completely, as though every part of her was being cut in half, torn in two, into a completely different person.

As Ezra started to walk away, he kept hold of at least one of her limbs, until he was down to one hand, and then four fingers, then three, two, one…

The security guard escorted Aria's other half down the hall, keeping him from looking back, and Aria watched his figure get smaller and smaller until he was simply gone.

Aria felt as though she was going to melt into a puddle at her feet. Her body was shaking with sobs, and her heart felt as though someone had taken a hammer to it and smashed it to pieces. If she had known Ezra was going to do something like this, if she had known this was the last time she was ever going to see him for so long, she would've thought of something better to say. She had barely survived ten years without her friends, how was she supposed to survive without him?

But as she thought about that, Aria finally decided to wipe her tears, roll her shoulders back, and go back into the courtroom, because she _had_ survived without her friends. Not well, granted, but she had done okay. So maybe she could do okay without Ezra.

When she walked back in, someone in a white lab coat, most likely the DNA analyst, was testifying, but Aria could hardly hear what he was saying due to the blood rushing to her ears. When she reached her bench, where the rest of her friends were sitting, she took note that Spencer was not there. Slowly, and somewhat uneasily when she realized how much she had missed, Aria sat down.

Hanna turned to her, taking in her appearance. Aria realized she must've looked pretty bad. "Are you okay?" Hanna whispered, and Aria just shook her head, not wanted to say much more about it. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she'd be fine without Ezra and would see him soon enough, he was her husband, and she would miss him greatly.

As if words were not needed, Hanna simply scooted in and wrapped an arm around Aria's shoulders, and Aria leaned her head against Hanna's, appreciating her company more than she could properly express. A minute later, the DNA analyst finished his testimony, and left the stand. The judge banged his gavel against the hardwood of his desk before surveying the crowd before him.

"Since we are short of our district attorney," he began slowly, "let's skip the closing statements and get to the verdict."

It took another ten minutes for the jury to collect their votes, scribbling down their answers on sheets of paper and counting them all, and the suspense was killing Aria. She felt her leg bounce up and down with anticipation, and even when Spencer came back into the room, looking clammier than ever, she felt increasingly more scared as the minutes ticked by. All of the girls – including Paige, who had come further up to support Emily, clearly putting their previous fight in the past – held hands as they watched a member of the jury stand, holding the final verdict, and they each held their breath as they waited for his answer.

"We find the defendant…" He drew in a breath before saying the word, or two words, that would fill the room like smoke, that would be the deciding factor of whether the girls would go home with hope or fear in their hearts.

"… Guilty."

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><p><strong>And cue the Ezria fandom attacking me...<strong>

**10 reviews! You all know the deal ;)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Thank you all so much for reading and supporting this story, even if I'm wrenching your heart out as I'm doing it. We have this chapter, and then a very brief epilogue after that, and both have some serious surprises in store, so hold tightly onto whatever surface you can ;)**

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><p>Hanna walked out of the courtroom feeling like an impressive weight had just been lifted from her shoulders. They had done it. They had prosecuted Mona back into her jail cell, they had cleared Emily of any charges that she might've killed Alison, and they were <em>free<em>.

"We did it!" Hanna squealed with glee as she attacked Emily in a bear hug, and Emily hugged back, laughing triumphantly.

"I can't believe it," she said incredulously. "I'm not going to jail!"

"Mona is out of our lives for good!" Aria shouted, and while Emily and Aria embraced at this joyous proclamation, Hanna was a little reluctant to.

She didn't want to admit this to the girls, but she hated the fact that them winning the case meant Mona had to go back to jail. She wanted to win, of course, but part of her wondered whether Mona had suffered enough after the conversation she had with her the other day.

But then another part of her thought that she was silly for feeling sorry for Mona. After all, it was _Mona_. The girl was the epitome of an evil genius, and after everything she'd done to Hanna and her friends, what business did Hanna have _not_ wishing for her to rot in hell for the rest of her life?

Of course, who was to say it couldn't be vice versa? Mona _was_ Hanna's oldest friend, and she _had_ left Mona to be with the other girls.

But when Spencer came out of the courtroom, looking physically drained, Hanna put these thoughts to the side as she rushed up to comfort her friend.

"Spence, it's okay," she said as Spencer paled with every step she took. "Sit down and take a nap or something. It's over."

"I called Toby," Emily piped in. "He's coming to get you now."

Spencer drowsily sat down on a nearby chair, sprawling her long legs out in front of her as she propped her arms up on the arm rests. "But Toby's mad at me," she said as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Aria kneeled down by Spencer's knees. "No one was ever mad at you, Spencer," she said reassuringly. "We were all just under a high stress situation… which was probably why I said what I said, and I don't think I got a chance to properly apologize."

Spencer just smiled giddily as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, at least we know it's not true considering I just beat Mona's ass in court," she said cynically, "but apology accepted."

Aria sighed in relief as she stood up and wrapped her arms around Spencer, who was a little less responsive as she started dozing off into a deep slumber, but before she did…

"Can we make sure no one tells Toby about the pregnancy test I took this morning?"

The girls all gasped, and Emily uttered out one, "I beg your pardon," that Spencer didn't even hear, for with that, she was out.

Hanna's eyes bulged out of her head as she turned to the other two. "Spencer's pregnant?!"

"That can't be right," Aria said, scratching her head. "She told me Toby didn't even want another baby. She's probably just delirious."

"I don't think so," Emily disagreed, shaking her head. "That's a little too specific to be out of deliria. But if what you're saying is true, why would Toby – "

"Why would Toby what?"

The girls turned around, and Toby was coming up from behind them, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans. Hanna bit her lip, not sure whether she should say something or not, but it turned out Spencer, still in her sleep-deprived daze, had beaten her to it.

"That I'm a month pregnant."

Toby lurched forward, his baby blue eyes so big they took up half of his chiseled face, and with that Spencer fell back asleep again.

"That's probably why she hasn't been feeling well lately," Aria deduced out loud, her hand on her chin as she pondered over the recent events. "And today, when she passed out in court, I bet that had to do with it as well."

Toby still hadn't said anything yet, and Hanna started to get worried. Would he be very upset about having another child? Would it make much of a difference to him?

"Toby?" Aria asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm having another child," Toby whispered, and suddenly, a smile graced his pale features and his face lit up. "I'm going to be the father of a third child!"

Each of the girls stood up to congratulate them, as Spencer slept soundly in front of them. And as all of the girls stood around together, with the addendum of Toby standing over Spencer and Paige holding Emily's hand, Hanna started to realize how much she missed their little group. They had led completely separate lives up to this point, yet somehow fate had brought them back together in the hometown that they'd all grown up in. And now, just as they were getting used to each other's company again, they had to leave.

Was that really fair?

"Guys, I don't want to go," Hanna said abruptly, and when all of her friends turned to her, looking at her like they wanted her to elaborate, she went on.

"I just got you all back," she said timidly, shaking her head. "I really don't want to lose you all again."

Emily and Aria both ducked their heads, and Paige and Toby looked on, pondering this, until Emily, always the optimist, spoke up.

"Then we don't have to," she suggested.

Paige furrowed her brow as she looked at Emily. "What do you mean?"

Emily just shrugged her shoulders. "We're all still young, and our kids are, too," she pointed out. "Why don't we just… move back to Rosewood?"

"_WHAT?"_

Emily held out her hands, asking that they all let her explain. "We'd all be together, and Mona's in jail again," she said calmly. "We'd all be safe, our kids would be safe, and we can surely put our past behind us by now. It'd be like starting fresh."

Toby shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, thinking about this. "Well, I guess since Elijah is starting school, it's probably not best to raise him in a big city like D.C.," he reasoned. "And with a new kid on the way, it's best to be close to home, especially now that Spencer and her family have made up."

"Yeah, and I can be closer to my mom," Aria added. "And I can visit Ezra in jail!"

"But Emily…" Paige sighed as a realization, unknown to Hanna, hit her. "What about swimming training?"

"I didn't say I had all of the answers yet," Emily said persuasively, "but this feels right. But we don't have to if you don't want to."

Paige thought about this for a moment or two, before breaking out into a wide smile as she squeezed Emily's hand tighter. "Of course I want to."

Emily's eyes brightened like stars. "Really?"

"Emily, you don't get it," she said through her smiling face. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy! It's always been that way, and it always _will_ be that way. I love you."

Emily's jaw dropped to the ground at her wife's loving words, and the two embraced. Hanna wrapped her arms around herself, watching the two lovebirds with glee. She couldn't believe it. They were going to move to Rosewood, all of them. It was going to be just like old times again. She could practically _sing_.

Just as further conversation was going to start up again, a voice sounded from behind Hanna that sounded awfully familiar.

"Mommy!"

Hanna squinted as she perked her ears up to listen more clearly. "Did that sound like…?"

"Audrey," Emily finished, as she spun Hanna around to see a recognizable head of blonde hair race into her arms. Hanna scooped her little girl up into the air, shocked but incredibly happy to see her.

Hanna gave Audrey a giant kiss on the cheek. "How's my girl?" she said excitedly, glad to see that Audrey had seemed to have forgotten about her mother's explosion the previous night, or the fact that Hanna had basically deported her and her father back home.

Audrey smiled her famous pearly white smile as she held her arms out straight as arrows. "She's fabulous!" she said grandly, before looking around at everyone in confusion.

Hanna would've slapped her forehead if she had a free hand when she realized that Audrey only knew Paige and Emily. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Everyone, this is my daughter, Audrey. Audrey, this is your aunt Aria, your uncle Toby, and your aunt Spencer is asleep on the chair there."

Aria leapt forward, ready to give Audrey as much love and attention as she could. "You are even cuter than the pictures we saw of you," she gushed, and Audrey beamed as everyone fawned over her.

"Yeah, she's a cutie, alright."

Hanna felt her knees go weak, and she immediately handed Audrey off to Aria as she whipped around, a notorious mane of brown hair meeting her vision. Hanna couldn't even stop herself as she launched herself forward into her husband's arms, and Caleb was ready to catch her, holding her tightly into his strong frame.

Hanna didn't realize she was crying until she had started talking. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a tear-soaked voice.

Caleb pulled back, taking his thumb to her cheek and wiping away her tears – whether they were of happiness that he was here or sadness that she had been so stupid to send him away, she wasn't sure. "I couldn't leave you Hanna," he said, shaking his head. "Even if you made me, I just couldn't."

Hanna giggled as she nuzzled her face into his cable-knit sweater. "I'm glad you didn't listen to me," she whispered into his chest, and he rested his chin on the crown of her head, happy to be reunited with her at last.

But soon, his body stiffened, and Hanna, noticing this, separated from him. "What's wrong, Caleb?"

Caleb jerked his head in a direction behind Hanna, and Hanna turned around. Mona was standing a few yards behind her, eating the same damn carrot sticks that she had been the other day.

Unable to take it, Hanna squeezed Caleb's arm and told him she'd be right back as she made her way over to Mona, immediately realizing she'd soon regret this.

"Hi, Mona," she said once she was in front of the shorter girl, her mind emptied of anything better to say. "Umm… I'm sorry you lost."

Mona gave a sad shrug of her shoulders in response. "That's okay," she said, not bothering to hide the gloom in her voice. "At least I got to see you before I spend the rest of my life in prison."

Hanna ducked her head, suddenly not knowing why she'd come over. She didn't know how to approach a situation like this, and in the short time that she was talking to Mona, she doubt she'd suddenly learn how. "Mona…"

"Save it, Hanna," Mona said sharply, but it didn't sound like there was resentment in her tone. "You won fair and square. You found the evidence to prosecute me, and the jury saw right through my emotional appeal. I lost, and I'm okay with it."

Hanna cocked her head to the side. "You're okay with going back to prison?"

"Well… that might be a slight exaggeration," she corrected, and Hanna chuckled slightly at this. "But at least I know I went down fighting. And at least I got the truth out to you all. About Ezra, about my feelings this entire time… honestly, I don't feel too bad about this."

Hanna was still so confused. How was Mona okay with this? After all, every time Mona turned sideways, she disappeared. Surely the smaller girl couldn't stand a _lifetime_ in prison… could she?

Behind Mona, a security guard was snapping his fingers, and Mona turned around to wave at him to signify that she was coming. She then turned back to Hanna and sneaked up on the blonde by giving her a hug. Hanna jumped a little, but then surprised herself by hugging back.

"Just… be careful, okay?" she said, and Mona pulled back to survey her up and down. Hanna thought she was going to say something, but instead, she only winked and walked in the other direction.

Hanna watched as she walked away, her figure shrinking with each step. Just when she thought she was going to make it around the corner, Hanna couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh, Christ," she said to herself, cracking as she went over to Caleb. With each step, her present thought became more prominent in her mind, and she hated herself for backtracking so far, but when she thought back to the picture of Mona that Spencer had pulled out in court, the one of her in glasses and clutching a book to her chest like her life depended on it, she knew she had to press forward with what she was about to do. No matter which way you went about it, Mona did not deserve the punishment she was getting. The only reason she was in prison before was because she hadn't had a lawyer to step up to the challenge, but putting her back in there was pointless. She had learned her lesson, and Hanna could tell that she wouldn't do anything drastic again. If Hanna did what she was about to do, Mona would have nothing against her, or her friends, anymore.

And what was more, it was the right thing to do.

When she gave her suggestion to Caleb, he had jolted back in shock, but she stood firm, no matter how many times he questioned her decision, until finally he complied, escorting her to the security guard that had rounded the corner not too long ago. When the two finally reached Mona and the security guard, Hanna said the words that had been torturing her ever since the verdict had been made.

"I'd like to pay Mona Vanderwaal's bail."

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><p><strong>See you all next chapter for the final update!<strong>


	32. Chapter 32

**For the guest reviewer that questioned the legality behind Hanna paying Mona's bail, please don't be confused! I'm not a professional writer/an expert on law, so just pretend it makes sense for this story and that Mona's bail can be paid because she's already served time in jail.**

**Well, we did it. We're finally at the end of this story, and before you guys ask: unfortunately, no, there will not be a sequel. I'm sorry, but I'm just not one for writing sequels, and this story isn't really at a place where it can pick up again. But never fear: I have a few other stories that I'll be publishing soon, so you have those to look forward to! And of course, you can click my profile and peruse some of my already written work. But for now, this is it. Thank you all so much for reading/hopefully enjoying the story, and hopefully I'll get to see you in any other work that I publish. You guys are the best :)**

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><p><strong>EPILOGUE<strong>

Mona began packing up what little things she had sprawled around in her jail cell. It was strange; since she had entered back into the horrible place, she had fallen back into her habit of not speaking with her inmates. Even Kazan, of whom Mona would've loved to give a piece of her mind, didn't get to hear Mona's wrathful words of farewell. Yet, at least Mona still had another half an hour left to gather her things, so who knew; maybe, by the end of the day, she'd end up pulling a Holden Caulfield, yelling "Sleep tight, ya morons!" at the top of her lungs as she exited the building.

Not that anyone in the rotten facility was literate enough to understand her reference.

Mona pulled on a white cotton Hanes shirt over a pair of cutoffs. The fabric felt foreign on her olive skin, which was so accustomed to the burlap of her orange jumpsuit. She folded up the suit that she had spent ten years of her life lounging around in, stuck it in the paper bag they had given her, stuck her feet in a pair of flip flops and sauntered out of the dressing room with newfound confidence. She had dreamed of the day that she would get to make her way out of this dump, and she was finally proceeding with it. Somehow, everyone had gotten what they had wanted; she didn't have to reveal the girls' illegal activity in court, _or_ falsely accuse Emily of murder, all while sending that scumbag Fitz to jail _and_ keep herself out of jail.

Somehow, her life was picking up. And while she didn't exactly know where to go from here, she'd pick herself up.

Before Mona checked out for good, there was one more thing she wanted to do.

She made her way down the hall of the prison, gazing upon the identical cells, the pattern that the bars made as they stretched on, an infinite lineup of metal cylinders. Until finally, she found herself standing in between her old cell and the cell next to it.

Ezra was falling asleep against the cold concrete wall inside, and Mona had to suppress an eye roll as she smacked her hand against one of the bars. The sound echoed throughout the open space, sending Ezra up into the air in astonishment. Once he had gotten his bearings, he stared up at Mona, taking in her presence and manipulating his facial expression into one of pure hatred.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here?" he growled as he walked up to the bars, grasping them like an animal.

Mona made a _tut-tut_ sound with her tongue against her teeth. "Didn't you hear, sweet cheeks?" she said patronizingly. "They let me go."

Ezra's eyes widened until he resembled a hungry orangutan. "What do you mean? The whole point of me being in here is so that _you_ can stay in here!"

"Well guess what?" Mona said, now changing her tone to match the thoughts in her head. The _evil_ thoughts in her head. "That's not the way the world works. Hanna bailed me out."

As the realization washed over Ezra, anger met this realization in the middle, and a collision occurred externally. He kicked the bars in frustration as Mona stood back in glee.

"I can't believe you," he said angrily. "You little bitch, I can't _believe_ you!"

"Well, believe it," Mona said with a shrug. "Because it's real. I'm out, and you're not."

"If you're smart," Ezra threatened, still grasping the bars with his orange jumpsuit-clad arms, "you'll stay away from the girls. _Especially_ Aria."

"Oh, and what are you going to do if I don't?" Mona barked back. This was a rhetorical question, because before Ezra could answer, Mona pivoted on her heel and walked away.

As she walked in front of her old cell, she spotted an old friend. Kazan nearly threw herself into the metal bars when she saw Mona.

"I knew that was you!" she said, her voice dull and masculine. "I knew if you could talk, that's what you would sound like!"

"Did you really?" Mona said sardonically. "Did you imagine me telling you to shave your nose hair the way I'm telling you right now?"

Kazan's beady eyes popped out of her head, and her jaw grazed the surface of the floor, and with that, Mona skipped on her merry way out of the jailhouse. She was met with bright sunlight once she was outside, but she simply pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag to block out the beams of light as she met the hot granite on the sidewalk.

Nothing could stop her now. Not even the smallest obstacle could bring down her incredible mood.

All that mattered right now was that _those bitches fell for it AGAIN_.

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><p><strong>See you all next time! ;)<strong>


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